The Virginia attorney general race has been upended by Democrat Jay Jones’ violent text scandal, with Republicans capitalizing on the controversy to fuel a massive fundraising surge for incumbent Jason Miyares.
According to Fox News Digital, the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) has now poured a record-breaking $8.5 million into the Miyares campaign—an unprecedented figure for the organization. The latest infusion came on Friday, when RAGA added $2.5 million after dropping $2 million earlier in the week.
RAGA Executive Director Adam Piper credited the scandal for igniting donor enthusiasm and reshaping the race entirely:
“Jason Miyares is surging in the polls and RAGA has been overwhelmed with millions in new donations, allowing us to double our investment in Virginia over the last week,” Piper told Fox News Digital.
He added that RAGA has been “all in on Miyares from the outset,” but that the recent revelations “completely changed the dynamics of the race.”
Internal GOP polling conducted by Cygnal on October 6–7 shows a dramatic 21-point drop in Jones’ favorability compared to just a month ago. The same poll found Miyares leading by two points—an early sign that the scandal has made a measurable impact in what was once considered a competitive race.
The texts at the center of the controversy reportedly date back to 2022, when Jones allegedly fantasized about the violent death of a Republican lawmaker. The discovery has drawn national attention and widespread condemnation:
“The GOP attorneys general group this week released internal polling… that found a sharp drop of 21 points in Jones’ favorability compared to one month ago,” Fox News Digital reported.
Even Democrats have been forced to distance themselves from Jones. While gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger and other Democratic leaders have “disavowed the texts,” none have gone as far as demanding that Jones withdraw from the race.
With early voting already underway, the fallout from the texts threatens to overshadow the rest of the Democratic ticket. As Fox News noted, RAGA has outspent every other political committee “up and down the gubernatorial race ticket,” breaking its own 2017 record in the process.
Piper summarized the mood among GOP donors simply:
“The texting incident has driven new interest from donors, which has allowed the group to up its investment in the race.”
Whether this late surge proves decisive remains to be seen—but the damage to Jones’ campaign appears unmistakable.
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