Democrat Squirms as GOP Debate Rival Hammers Her for Ducking Jay Jones Endorsement: ‘Third Time’s a Charm!’

Virginia’s Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Abigail Spanberger refused to withdraw her endorsement of her party’s attorney general nominee Jay Jones even as she faced relentless grilling from Republican rival Winsome Earle-Sears about and his “abhorrent” text message suggesting a political rival should get “two bullets to the head.”

The explosive moment came within minutes of the debate’s start at Norfolk State University on Thursday night.

Earle-Sears seized the opening, turning a question on Virginia’s car tax into a personal confrontation. “My opponent needs to answer about Jay Jones,” she demanded, before pressing further: “You have little girls. What would it take? Him pulling the trigger?”

Jones, who has apologized for the leaked 2022 messages, reignited anger just weeks after the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and the assault on Minnesota lawmakers.

Spanberger condemned the messages but repeatedly ducked on refusing to withdraw her endorsement of Jones, saying, “The voters now have the information, and it is up to voters to make an individual choice based on this information.”

In one of the more heated moments Spanberger found herself pressed by the debate moderator and Earle-Sears, who pressed on her from both sides to clarify her stance on Jones’s candidacy:

MODERATOR: I didn’t hear an answer on Jay Jones.

ABIGAIL SPANBERGER: In fact, it appears that it was the – those who released the text messages and held them for years so the public was unaware who had knowledge of these text messages.

WINSOME EARLE-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.

EARLE-SEARS: Oh, she denounces murder!

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.

EARLE-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.

EARLE-SEARS: She still endorses him!

The hour-long debate often devolved into crosstalk, with Earle-Sears interrupting Spanberger repeatedly as the two sparred over abortion rights, immigration, and the government shutdown.

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