Virginia’s Democratic Attorney General candidate Jay Jones, who previously faced backlash for sending alarming text messages about wanting to kill a political opponent, is currently leading Republican incumbent Jason Miyares by a slim margin, according to a recent poll released on the eve of the election. The survey conducted by Insider Advantage shows Jones with a 49% to 47% advantage among likely voters.
This follows another poll from Emerson College, released just the day before, that indicates Jones is also leading by two percentage points among either likely voters or those who have already cast their ballots. These findings suggest that Jones may gain support by aligning with Democratic candidates at the top of the ticket.
Despite the controversy surrounding his texts, where he made violent remarks about then-Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert, Jones has managed to regain traction. The messages included disturbing fantasies about Gilbert and his family being harmed, which prompted outrage and a call for an apology, although leading Virginia Democrats, including Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, opted not to demand his resignation from the race.
At a rally over the weekend, former President Barack Obama endorsed Virginia Democrats, further energizing their campaign efforts. In a pointed response to Miyares, Jones remarked on Trump’s endorsement of the Republican candidate, suggesting it implies loyalty to Trump rather than to the people of Virginia.
In related polling news, Abigail Spanberger, another prominent Democratic contender, holds a commanding lead over Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, with a difference of 10 percentage points according to the Insider Advantage poll. Spanberger’s lead is also demonstrated in the RealClearPolitics average, where she is ahead by approximately 9.6 percentage points.
Political analysts note that Jones’s ability to recover from his damaging past remarks has contributed to Earle-Sears’s declining support, demonstrating significant shifts in voter sentiments in the lead-up to the election. The Insider Advantage poll was conducted with 800 participants from November 2-3, showcasing a margin of error of 3.46 percentage points, while the Emerson College survey, involving 880 Virginians, has a margin of error at 3.2 percentage points.
As the election draws near, the Democratic party appears to be rallying, displaying resilience amidst controversy and a shift in voter dynamics that could influence the outcomes in Virginia’s key races.