Virginia’s political landscape is rarely quiet, but this year’s heated election season has brought a new level of intensity and controversy, with candidates and advocacy groups trading accusations and stoking debates over crime, culture, and character. As early voting surges to record highs, the races for governor and attorney general have become national flashpoints, drawing in voices from beyond the state’s borders and prompting questions about the tone and tactics of modern American politics.
On October 4, 2025, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier entered the fray, warning that Democrat Jay Jones, who is running for Virginia’s attorney general, is “not fit for public office” due to what Uthmeier called “disgusting and threatening comments.” Uthmeier’s condemnation echoed a statement from the Republican Attorneys General Association, which backs his own campaign as well as that of Virginia’s Republican incumbent, Jason Miyares. The controversy centers on private text messages sent by Jones, a recently resigned member of the Virginia House of Delegates, to a Republican colleague. In these texts, Jones suggested that former House Speaker Todd Gilbert was worse than two of the twentieth century’s most notorious dictators, writing, “Three people, two bullets ... (Todd) Gilbert, hitler, and pol pot.” He went on to say, “Gilbert gets two bullets to the head … Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.”
National Review reported that Jones’s rhetoric didn’t stop there. In another message, Jones reportedly said that if Gilbert and other Republicans “die before” him, he would “go to their funerals to piss on their graves” to “send them out awash in something.” The timing of these message revelations, just as early voting began in Virginia on September 19, has fueled speculation about their political impact. As National Review noted, “The private messages offer a disturbing glimpse into how Jones — who is looking to oust incumbent Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares this fall — describes his political adversaries in private conversations. The violent rhetoric complicates an already contentious and competitive race roughly a month out from Election Day in Virginia.”
The stakes are high: polling from mid-September showed Miyares trailing Jones by seven points in what appears to be a Democrat-leaning electorate this cycle. With the attorney general’s race now under a harsh spotlight, both parties are scrambling to control the narrative. Uthmeier’s intervention, amplified by the Republican Attorneys General Association, reflects a broader trend of nationalizing state-level races, especially when issues of political civility and public safety are at play.
Meanwhile, the gubernatorial contest has erupted into its own firestorm. On October 3, the American Principles Project (APP), a conservative advocacy group, launched a new seven-figure campaign ad targeting Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger. The ad, which draws comparisons to the infamous Willie Horton spot of 1988, attacks Spanberger over her support for transgender policies and highlights the case of Richard Cox, a Tier III sex offender in Arlington County who has been charged multiple times with exposing himself in girls’ locker rooms. According to Fox News Digital, the ad claims that Spanberger’s opposition to Governor Glenn Youngkin’s guidelines for transgender students would allow similar incidents to happen again, accusing her of putting “radical ideology ahead of safety for young girls.”
“The case of sexual deviant Richard Cox preying upon young girls in Virginia is enraging to any decent person – but not to Abigail Spanberger,” said Terry Schilling, founder of the American Principles Project, in a statement to Fox News Digital. “She refuses to condemn Richard Cox at all. She’s avoided answering any and all questions about it and the answer is obvious – because this situation is only possible because of Spanberger’s radical transgender policy agenda. Cox has been a repeat offender for over 30 years! He was allowed to enter women’s private spaces where little girls are vulnerable and no one stopped him.”
Schilling went on to warn, “If Abigail Spanberger is elected Governor of Virginia, she will repeal all protections for women in Virginia and put even more young girls in danger. The reason we are spending $1 million on this ad is because every Virginia voter should know that Abigail Spanberger will endanger their daughters.” The ad campaign is part of a broader strategy by APP, which has run similar spots in other battleground states, positioning itself as a defender of families and warning against policies it claims “confuse[s] young children about changing their gender.”
Spanberger’s campaign, for its part, has pushed back forcefully. “Convicted sex offender Richard Cox is a predator who should be in jail — and that’s exactly where he is,” a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Abigail is a parent of three daughters in Virginia public schools and a former federal law enforcement officer who went after child predators — nothing is more important to her than the safety of Virginia’s kids. As Governor, Abigail will work with state and local law enforcement officers to keep Virginia kids safe and make sure sex offenders are prevented from preying on children and prosecuted for their crimes.” According to the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office inmate database, Cox remains in custody on multiple pending charges.
But the attacks keep coming. “Abigail Spanberger’s policies enabled Richard Cox to prey on women and girls. No amount of political damage control can erase that record,” Schilling insisted in a follow-up to Fox News Digital. “Spanberger is too dangerous to lead Virginia. As Governor, Spanberger will repeal Gov. Youngkin’s recent executive order barring males from female private spaces.”
Republicans argue that safety and cultural issues are resonating more deeply with parents across the state, especially after Youngkin’s surprise victory in 2021, which many attributed to a focus on parental rights in education. Polling suggests the race remains competitive: a Washington Post Schar School poll from late September showed Spanberger leading Republican Winsome Sears 55% to 43%. Yet with Republicans casting about half of the first week’s early ballots and early voting ending on November 1, the final outcome is far from certain.
Beyond the headline-grabbing statewide races, local contests and issues are also shaping the mood in Virginia. VPM News reported on October 4 that Democratic Delegate Joshua Cole faced off with Republican Sean Steinway in a debate for the 65th House District, centered on the City of Fredericksburg. The debate, held at the University of Mary Washington’s Dodd Auditorium, is part of a flurry of campaign events and media coverage as Virginians prepare to vote in November. VPM News also highlighted a $300 million water system improvement plan in Henrico and the expansion of Richmond Public Schools’ dual-language immersion program, underscoring the breadth of issues at stake.
As the campaign season barrels toward Election Day, Virginia’s voters are being bombarded with messages about crime, culture, and character. The fierce rhetoric, expensive ad buys, and personal attacks may leave some wondering whether the tone of politics can ever return to a more civil place. For now, though, the only certainty is that Virginians are paying close attention — and turning out in record numbers to have their say.
