Tonight, the two candidates vying for Virginia governor faced off in a live debate. Abigail Spanberger, the Democrat nominee, was questioned about her endorsement of Jay Jones, the Democratic candidate for attorney general. Recent revelations exposed text messages in which Jones fantasized about assassinating the GOP House Speaker and his children. While Spanberger issued a statement condemning the messages, she refused to call for Jones to withdraw from the race—unlike her Republican opponent, Winsome Earle-Sears, and the President and Vice President of the United States.

During the debate, the moderator pressed Spanberger on whether she would continue endorsing Jones. She evaded direct answers, deflecting questions with vague responses. When confronted again, she refused to explicitly withdraw her support for Jones. The exchange grew heated as the moderator demanded clarity.

MODERATOR: “I didn’t hear an answer on [whether you still endorse] Jay Jones.”
SPANBERGER: “In fact, it appears that it was the, uh, those who released the text messages and held them for years so the public was unaware who had knowledge of these text messages.”
SEARS: “When did you KNOW, and what did you DO about it?!”
SPANBERGER: “I learned of these text messages the day that they came out and I denounced them as soon as I learned of them.”
SPANBERGER: “And importantly, um, at this point as we move forward, the voters now have this information, information that was withheld for them, presumably for political reasons.”
“But the voters now have the information and it is up to voter to make an individual choice based on this information.”
MODERATOR: “Do you still continue to endorse Jay Jones? 15 seconds, yes or no.”
SPANBERGER: “We are all running our individual races. I believe my opponent has said that about her lieutenant governor nominee.”
SEARS: “Third time’s a charm, Abigail!”
SPANBERGER: “It’s up to every person to make their own decision. I am running my race to serve Virginia, and that is what I intend to do.”

MODERATOR: “We just want to clarify, what you’re saying is that as of now, you still endorse Jay Jones as attorney general?”
SPANBERGER: “I’m saying as of now, it’s up to every voter to make their own individual decision.”

The moderator’s persistence highlighted Spanberger’s reluctance to address the issue directly. Her response underscored a refusal to disassociate from Jones despite his troubling rhetoric. Critics argue that her stance undermines accountability and risks normalizing dangerous behavior.