Virginia AG candidate said Republican lawmaker deserved 'two bullets to the head' in surfaced texts

WASHINGTON - A Democratic Virginia Attorney General candidate is under fire for text messages he sent to a colleague in 2022, where he talked about shooting another state lawmaker.

"Gilbert gets two bullets…"

What we know:

Text messages surfaced this week of a conversation between Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee for Virginia Attorney General, and Virginia Del. Carrie Coyner from 2022. 

In the messages obtained by FOX News, Jones, a former delegate himself, was discussing tributes for Del. Joe Johnson, who had recently died, particularly the tribute from then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert.

RELATED: Jay Jones wins Virginia Democratic primary for Attorney General

Jones continued talking about Gilbert, then went on to say, "Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler, and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head."

Coyner appeared to push Jones to stop, saying, "It really bothers me when you talk about hurting people or wishing death on them."

According to other reports, as their conversation continued, Coyner expressed concern that Jones had talked "about hoping Jennifer Gilbert’s children would die."

What they're saying:

Coyner addressed the conversation in a statement to FOX 5 DC on Friday.

"On Aug. 8, 2022, I had a text conversation with Jay Jones. What he said was not just disturbing but disqualifying for anyone who wants to seek public office," Coyner said. "Jay Jones wished violence on the children of a colleague. It’s disgusting and unbecoming of any public official."

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is calling for Jones to suspend his campaign, calling Jones’ messages "Violent, disgusting rhetoric…"

"There is no ‘gosh, I’m sorry’ here," Youngkin said on X. "Jones doesn’t have the morality or character to drop out of this race, and his running mates Abigail Spanberger, Ghazala Hashmi and every elected Democrat in Virginia don’t have the courage to call on him to step away from this campaign in disgrace."

Jones’ ticket-mates also condemned his remarks.

Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate for governor, said Friday that she "spoke frankly with Jay about my disgust with what he had said and texted," adding that Jones needed to "take responsibility for his words."

Ghazala Hashmi, the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor, told FOX 5 DC that "Jay must take accountability for the pain that his words have caused. We must demand better of our leaders and of each other."

Jones responds

The other side:

Jones issued a statement Friday night, saying that reading back his own words "made me sick to my stomach."

"I take full responsibility for my actions, and I want to issue my deepest apology to Speaker Gilbert and his family," Jones said. "Reading back those words made me sick to my stomach. I am embarrassed, ashamed, and sorry. I have reached out to Speaker Gilbert to apologize directly to him, his wife Jennifer, and their children. I cannot take back what I said; I can only take full accountability and offer my sincere apology."

Jones finished by calling the messages "a grave mistake," saying that if he’s elected, he "will work every day to prove to the people of Virginia that I will fight for them as Attorney General." 

"Virginians  deserve honest leaders who admit when they are wrong and own up  to their mistakes. This was a grave mistake and I will work every  day to prove to the people of Virginia that I will fight for them  as Attorney General." 

What's next:

Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears is scheduled to hold a press conference on Saturday to address what she called Jones’ "horrific and unacceptable comments."

Jones is looking to oust incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares in the November election.