Another Democratic candidate has emerged for next year’s attorney general election in Virginia, as incumbent Republican state Attorney General Jason Miyares has yet to announce if he will run for reelection.
Former Democratic state Del. Jay Jones announced his bid to become the commonwealth’s top prosecutor Tuesday, becoming the second declared candidate after Democratic Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor announced her bid in June.
Today, with hope for a brighter future for our Commonwealth and our nation, I am proud to announce my campaign for Attorney General of Virginia. As Virginia’s Attorney General, my highest priority will always be the safety and freedom of Virginia families.
— Jay Jones (@jonesjay) November 12, 2024
“Today, with hope for a brighter future for our Commonwealth and our nation, I am proud to announce my campaign for Attorney General of Virginia. As Virginia’s Attorney General, my highest priority will always be the safety and freedom of Virginia families,” Jones said in a post on X announcing his candidacy.
He ran against then-Democratic state Attorney General Mark Herring in the Democratic primary for the position in 2021 but lost to Herring, who then went on to lose to Miyares in the general election. Jones also took aim at Miyares as being an “accomplice” to Trump in his opening pitch to voters.
“The incoming Trump administration threatens families with higher health care costs, higher prices & hazards to our health. Trump has an eager accomplice in Attorney General Miyares, who’s used his office to advance his own radical, ideological agenda, not protect Virginians,” Jones said in a subsequent post on X.
Miyares called out both Democratic candidates for attorney general but did not explicitly say whether he was seeking another term as the commonwealth’s top prosecutor.
Both of the announced Democrat candidates for Attorney General are far-left, anti-police, criminal rights progressives who will make Virginia less safe. They will support the same criminal first, victim last policies that lead to a surge in violent crime.
Public safety demands…
— Jason Miyares (@JasonMiyaresVA) November 12, 2024
“Both of the announced Democrat candidates for Attorney General are far-left, anti-police, criminal rights progressives who will make Virginia less safe. They will support the same criminal first, victim last policies that lead to a surge in violent crime. Public safety demands we put victims over criminals. We aren’t going back to four years of lawlessness in Virginia,” Miyares said.
Reports suggest Miyares is considering a run for governor in 2025, but he could also run for lieutenant governor or seek reelection to his current position. Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) cannot run for a second consecutive term under state law, and Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears announced her bid for governor in September.
When Earle-Sears announced her candidacy, Miyares issued a statement saying, “We all need to be focused on this November’s elections before even thinking about next year.”
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No Republicans have announced their candidacy for attorney general for the 2025 elections in the Old Dominion.
The Republican and Democratic primaries in Virginia for the state elections are scheduled for June 17, 2025, and the general election is scheduled for Nov. 4, 2025.