Beshear breaks with Democrats in questioning votes for Jay Jones
The article reports that Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has become the first prominent Democrat to openly question whether he would vote for Virginia Attorney General candidate Jay Jones following the revelation of violent text messages in which Jones suggested shooting a former Republican House Speaker. While many Democrats have avoided directly addressing the controversy or have continued to support Jones despite condemning the messages, Beshear expressed discomfort and called the texts “really wrong.” Other notable Democrats, like Nancy Pelosi, have downplayed the scandal, emphasizing Jones’s apology and qualifications. Simultaneously occurring, Jones has resumed campaigning despite plummeting poll numbers and calls from the Virginia Police Benevolent Association for him to withdraw or decline office if elected. The controversy has ignited debate within the Democratic Party and raised questions about Jones’s suitability as a candidate.
Beshear becomes first major Democrat to question Jay Jones after violent texts revealed
Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) became the first leading Democratic lawmaker to publicly question voting for Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones, breaking with his party’s reluctance to address the campaign.
The Virginia race blew up earlier this month when violent text messages from Jones resurfaced, in which he suggested former state Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert should get “two bullets to the head.”
Prominent Democrats have either avoided questions from the press on the matter, given general statements condemning political violence, or denounced the messages while asserting the party should continue to coalesce around Jones as the sole Democratic challenger to Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, the Republican incumbent.
However, Beshear on Wednesday directly addressed the controversy, questioning whether, as a Democrat, he would vote for Jones if he lived in the state. While he steered away from entirely ruling out a vote, Beshear’s remarks were the clearest criticism yet from lawmakers viewed as Democratic leaders.
“Would you vote for him if you lived in Virginia?” Beshear was asked during a Fox News interview.
Beshear responded, “It would be a very, very tough one for me to look at.”
“It’s just really wrong, and it bothers me,” he said.
However, when asked about GOP calls for Jones to end his campaign, Beshear said, “I don’t know enough about that situation.”
Some notable Democrats, such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), have largely dismissed the text message scandal.
“The leaders in Virginia … they have said [Jones] has apologized. What I understand is they say that on balance, he’s a better person to be attorney general, but that’s up to them,” she said earlier this week.
Others, such as Spanberger, have issued forceful statements condemning the violent messages. However, Spanberger has steered away from questioning whether residents should vote for Jones, noting his profuse apology for the statements.
Jones returned to the campaign trail on Wednesday, even as his polling reached new lows and the Virginia Police Benevolent Association, which endorsed Spanberger’s campaign, called on him to step aside even if he wins the election.
JAY JONES’S VIOLENT TEXT MESSAGES IN VIRGINIA BLEED INTO THE NATIONAL DEBATE
“Mr. Jones is now on the ballot for statewide office, and voting is already underway. Even if he were to withdraw, his name would remain, and he could still win the election. Voters now have the full picture of Mr. Jones’ character and must weigh that information carefully as they cast their ballots,” the VAPBA’s statement says.
“If he were to win, he should decline to take office. Leaders cannot serve effectively when their own conduct has undermined their credibility,” it continued.
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