(LifeSiteNews) — The pro-abortion Democratic nominee for attorney general in Virginia, whose text messages fantasizing about murdering his Republican colleague were recently exposed, declared his “lifelong Catholic faith” via social media this week.
Jay Jones, who previously served as a Virginia state delegate, in an October 22 X post that included photos of himself with several pastors from various Christian denominations in the Hampton Roads region, emphasized how he has drawn strength from his purported Catholic faith throughout his political career. The pro-abortion Jones, 36, who is running in a tight race to unseat incumbent Republican Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares next week, has come under fire in recent weeks for sending texts fantasizing about killing Republican Todd Gilbert as well as wishing that Gilbert’s children and police officers would die.
“It was an honor to meet with pastors from across Hampton Roads this morning,” Jones wrote in the post. “As a Catholic, I’ve always drawn strength from faith and community — the same values that guide me in this campaign and in service.”
It was an honor to meet with pastors from across Hampton Roads this morning. As a Catholic, I’ve always drawn strength from faith and community — the same values that guide me in this campaign and in service. pic.twitter.com/aNhT46U1dz
— Jay Jones (@jonesjay) October 22, 2025
LifeSiteNews could not corroborate whether any of the clergy Jones was photographed with were Catholic priests.
Despite his apparent “lifelong Catholic faith,” Jones has been a relentless supporter of abortion, contraception, and so-called reproductive “rights” throughout his career. His campaign has even been endorsed by the radically pro-abortion “Repro Rising Virginia PAC.” Meanwhile, his Republican opponent, Miyares, has received the full endorsement of the National Right to Life Committee.
The Catholic Church has consistently recognized abortion, the murder of an unborn child, as a “moral evil,” complicity in which “constitutes a grave offense,” carrying the “canonical penalty of excommunication for this crime against human life.”
Earlier this month, an alarming 2022 text exchange to fellow delegate Carrie Coyner shared by National Review’s Audrey Fahlberg also revealed that, despite his purported Catholic faith, Jones wrote extensively about murdering a political rival. In these disturbing messages, Jones said that Gilbert, then-speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, deserved death more than murderous dictators Hitler and Pol Pot did.
READ: Virginia Democrat AG nominee fantasized about killing Republican, wished death on kids
He also expressed his wish that the legislator’s children would die in his wife’s arms and said the Gilberts were “breeding little fascists.”
“Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy,” Jones argued in his rant.
Coyner also told the Virginia Scope that during a 2020 phone conversation in which the pair were debating removing officers’ qualified immunity for their use of lethal force in the course of their duties, Jones had suggested that officers would shoot fewer people if they were killed in the line of duty.
“Well, maybe if a few of them died, that they would move on, not shooting people, not killing people,” Jones reportedly said.
READ: Virginia Democrat accused of saying police would shoot fewer people if more officers were killed
Jones’ statements have been repeatedly denounced by Miyares and other top state officials. During an October 16 debate between the two AG nominees, Miyares pondered how Virginians can trust Jones to prosecute MS-13 gang members when he said he wanted to put two bullets in a political opponent’s head.
How can we trust Jay Jones to prosecute an MS-13 gang member after he said he wanted to put 2 bullets in an opponents head?
How can we trust Jay Jones to console a grieving parent after he said he wanted to see a mother hold her dying children or stand with law enforcement after… pic.twitter.com/IQK8TuJsuk
— Jason Miyares (@JasonMiyaresVA) October 17, 2025
Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin stressed that the “disgusting” rhetoric against an elected official and his children is “beyond disqualifying.”
This violent, disgusting rhetoric targeted at an elected official and his children is beyond disqualifying.
Jay Jones said that “Gilbert gets two bullets to the head” and then hoped his children would die. Read those words again.
There is no “gosh, I’m sorry” here. Jones… https://t.co/kOJD0cexlh
— Glenn Youngkin (@GlennYoungkin) October 4, 2025
Jones responded to the intense backlash with an “apology” that attempted to shift the blame to the National Review, Miyares, and President Donald Trump:
Like all people, I’ve sent text messages that I regret and I believe that violent rhetoric has no place in our politics. Let’s be clear about what is happening in the Attorney General race right now: Jason Miyares is dropping smears through Trump-controlled media organizations to assault my character and rescue his desperate campaign. This is a strategy that ensures Jason Miyares will continue to be accountable to Donald Trump, not the people of Virginia. This race is about whether Trump can control Virginia or Virginians control Virginia.
With just a week to go until Virginia voters head to the polls, the latest polling data shows Jones trailing Miyares by one point after holding a six-point lead before the texts were released.
Jones’ campaign did not respond to LifeSite’s request for comment by publication time.
