Democratic National Committee chairman says voters have forgiven Jay Jones for violent texts, but polls in Virginia AG race say otherwise

Most Virginians have “accepted the apology” of state attorney general candidate Jay Jones for his violent and disturbing threats about a Republican lawmaker, a senior Democrat said. However, recent polls and betting cast doubt on this claim.

Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Ken Martin said in an interview published Friday in POLITICO That Jones’ violent texts in 2022 about killing Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert were “reckless and unacceptable.”

However, he also said Virginia voters are tolerant.

“I think most Virginians have accepted this apology and that they will elect Jay Jones to be the next attorney general,” Martin predicted.

Recent polls tell a different story.

A poll released this week by the Trafalgar Group Show A decline in support for the Democratic nominee, with Jones now receiving the support of only 43 percent of voters, down from about 49 percent earlier in the month. According to to hill.

In contrast, his Republican challenger, Jason Miyares, received a big boost, as support increased by nearly four percent, from 45 percent to 48.9 percent.

While some media outlets describe Trafalgar as a “right-leaning” or “right-wing” pollster group, other metrics also seem to support Jones being damaged by news of his violent texts, which she was the first to publish. open In early October before National review.

Newsweek I mentioned This week, Jones’ chance of winning declined at betting sites, which can often predict the outcome. According to Al-Akhbar magazine:

Jones had a 53 percent chance of winning in the Bullemarket odds as of October 7, but that has declined steadily since then. On Thursday, Miyares had a 68 percent chance of winning, while Jones had about a 33 percent chance of winning.

Calci’s betting odds tell a similar story, favoring Jones all year until the sexting scandal broke. He gave Jones an 80 to 99 percent chance of winning all summer. But that was reversed on October 5. As of Thursday, Miyares had a 62% chance of winning, while Jones had only a 38% chance in the market.

At the very least, the race has become tense to a virtual dead heat, according to Jones’ own poll published by The Washington Post. hill.

Overcoming annoying texts can be a heavy lift.

“Three people, two bullets, Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot,” Jones, then a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, wrote in a 2022 text message to Republican Delegate Cary Coyner, “Gilbert got two bullets to the head (spoiler): Put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know, and he gets two bullets every time.” Newsweek male.

“I’m ashamed, I’m embarrassed and I’m sorry,” Jones said He said Thursday in a televised debate with current Attorney General Miyares.

“He took responsibility for what he said and apologized to the former Speaker and to the people of Virginia,” Democratic Party Chairman Martin said. POLITICO. “I believe in free and fair elections, and Virginia voters are the ones who will have to make that decision… Virginians will make a final decision on who they want to be their next attorney general.”

Contributor Lowell Covell is a New York Times bestselling author House of secrets And nine crime novels and other non-fiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com For more.

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