A group of 78 Virginia sheriffs endorsed Attorney General Jason Miyares for his reelection campaign against Democrat and former state Del. Jay Jones in November.
“Jason Miyares’ leadership was the key to combating violent crime in Hopewell, with Ceasefire Virginia helping to drop our murder rate by 60%. Because of Jason’s leadership—and because of a partnership rooted in action, not just words—Hopewell is stronger and thriving,” Hopewell Sheriff Travis Stanley said in a news release. “AG Miyares is a leader who doesn’t just talk the talk, but walks the walk. In law enforcement, that’s the ally you want.”
>>> Sign up for our Virginia email newsletter
Gloucester County Sheriff Darrell Warren said it is “no surprise” that Miyares secured “strong support” from the commonwealth’s law enforcement community.
“I’ve served as sheriff of Gloucester County for nearly 14 years, and in that time, I have never seen an attorney general more committed to supporting law enforcement than Jason Miyares,” Warren commented.
Miyares said that Virginia sheriffs know what is at stake this November.
“Our sheriffs know I will never stop fighting for safer communities, for victims, for the rule of law, and for the brave men and women who wear the badge and selflessly protect us every single day,” Miyares said in a news release. “As Virginia’s attorney general, I have made it a priority to have the back of our law enforcement community, and I am humbled and deeply honored that they have mine.”
The Daily Signal contacted both the Miyares’ and Jones’ campaigns but did not receive comment as of publication time.
Safety and wellbeing will be Jones’ biggest priority if he is elected attorney general, according to his website.
“That means both working closely with law enforcement and local prosecutors to ensure they have the support and resources needed to go after violent criminals and drug dealers while leading the way in the Attorney General’s Office to crack down on domestic violence and crimes against seniors and fight back against the opioid crisis,” Jones’ website says.
His website says he would work to “build closer ties and trust between law enforcement and the neighborhoods they serve, to allow police to do their jobs more safely and achieve better results targeting criminals.”
In a recent post on X, Miyares stated that when Jones served in the Virginia House of Delegates, he supported a bill that, if passed, would have banned qualified immunity for law enforcement—making it easier to sue police officers for misconduct.
“I watched the George Floyd video. I could feel that officer’s knee on my neck as I watched it. I could feel the bullets in my back as I watched the video of Jacob Blake,” Jones said in 2020 in a Virginia House of Delegates Appropriations Committee meeting. “This [bill banning qualified immunity for law enforcement] is a chance for Virginia to do the right thing and to do right by people. I promise you this will not have the financial impact, the chilling effect people say it is. Those are red herrings. This is an opportunity for our citizens to have their constitutional rights protected.”
Many in law enforcement voiced their disapproval of the bill at the time, citing concerns that passing the legislation would jeopardize police officers’ safety.
“If you got away from immunity, you would see the ranks of law enforcement diminished quickly,” state Sen. Bryce Reeves, a Republican, said in a statement in 2020. “There are enough inherent risks involved in day-to-day law enforcement already that, under the current climate, make many veteran LEOs [law enforcement officers] question staying on to make retirement. You would see less new recruits wanting to serve.”
