RICHMOND, Va. β Virginia's race for attorney general took center stage Thursday night as Democrat Jay Jones and Republican incumbent Jason Miyares faced off in a debate at the University of Richmond that immediately addressed two recent controversies surrounding Jones.
Watch: CBS 6 political analyst Dr. Bob Holsworth reacts to Virginia A.G. debate
One involved a 2022 reckless driving charge for traveling 116 mph in a 70 mph zone on I-64, which led to community service hours that he partially fulfilled by working for his own political action committee.
The other concerned texts and comments he made to a Republican delegate over three years ago, where he discussed hypothetically shooting then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert and imagining violence against his children.
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"Let me be very clear. I am ashamed, I am embarrassed, I am sorry. I am sorry to speaker Gilbert, I am sorry to his family, I am sorry to my family and I am sorry to every single Virginian, I cannot take back what I said, but you have my word but I will always be accountable about my mistakes," Jones said.
Miyares repeatedly criticized Jones' judgment to serve as the state's top prosecutor.
"Jay, if you were to apply to be a line prosecutor you would not pass a background check. Right now you may say that you are sorry. You had three years to say you were sorry and you didn't, you chose to stay silent," Miyares said.
Jones redirected the discussion by arguing that while the Democratic Party and court system held him accountable, Miyares has failed to hold President Donald Trump accountable for decisions that he argued have negatively impacted Virginians.
"We have to hold this administration accountable and as your attorney general I will do just that. Jason hangs out with Trump at MAGA ralies. I will see Jason Miyares and Donald Trump in court as your next attorney general," Jones said.
Miyares countered that Jones is running for the wrong office if he wants to fight battles in Washington, emphasizing his focus on keeping Virginians safe.
"He wants to fight the fights in Washington, my interest is putting the bad guys away on our streets. That has been our record," Miyares said.
When addressing allegations that he is soft on criminal justice issues, Jones highlighted his record of taking on the gun lobby as a delegate, his plans to establish a dedicated child safety unit, and his background watching his mother prosecute violent criminals.
"She took on the worst of the worst, murders, rapes and robberies," Jones said.
The moderator asked Miyares how he would ensure public safety and fairness in the criminal justice system after accusations that his tough-on-crime approach ignores racial disparities and impacts on low-income Virginians. Miyares did not directly answer the question but instead criticized Jones.
"The reality is Jay Jones is a criminal first, victim last politician. We know it from his own voting record," Miyares said.
Both candidates remained cordial and polite throughout the debate and followed the moderator's rules.
Watch the full debate in the video player below.
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