What would it take for Abigail Spanberger to hold a political ally accountable? That’s what millions of voters are asking themselves after the Democrat gubernatorial nominee refused to pull her endorsement of ticket mate and attorney general candidate, Jay Jones.
Despite Jones becoming a pariah across the political spectrum following the release of text messages where he fantasizes about killing his political opponents, Spanberger continues to back her problematic ticket mate. Even MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough, a stalwart of progressive talking points, has said Jones should likely be forced out of the race. However, despite these unified calls for action, Spanberger has refused to call for Jones to step aside.
Spanberger’s continued backing of Jones is simple—she is putting power and politics ahead of the people of Virginia. In her Thursday evening debate with Winsome Earle-Sears, she went so far as to deflect blame, faulting the person who “withheld the texts from the public.” This is not the act of a leader who would work for the good of the state, but the cowardice of a politician bent on achieving power at any cost.
These revelations and political calculations should concern all Virginians, but especially firearm owners. Both Spanberger and Jones have made a career out of campaigning against the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. From bans on commonly owned firearms to magazine bans and waiting periods, this ticket has made it clear that they will be launching an all-out assault on your rights. But beyond failed policy proposals, what would a Spanberger-Jones administration look like?
Can lawful citizens really trust Jones, who would certainly wield the power of his office against his political opponents, to fairly, justly, and indiscriminately oversee the state’s legal and law enforcement divisions? Would Spanberger, who has given Jones a pass on fantasizing about political violence, really rein in an out-of-control Attorney General? Given the actions over the past week, it is safe to say she would not.
NRA members are all too familiar with the dangers of a radical and runaway Attorney General. In New York, Attorney General Letitia James campaigned on the desire to destroy the NRA in the state where it was chartered. In other states, attorneys general have utilized lawfare to attack the rights of law-abiding citizens and firearm manufacturers. We have every reason to believe Jones would follow a similar path, attacking the NRA in the state it calls home today. That would be detrimental for gun owners across the country, not just in Virginia.
Spanberger, for her part, would surely sign any radical anti-gun bill proposed by Michael Bloomberg. For the past four years, Governor Glenn Youngkin has shielded the Commonwealth from overreach by the legislature, wielding a veto pen over a dozen times as a last line of defense for gun owners’ rights. That would change radically if a principled leader like Youngkin, who firmly believes in the Constitution and its freedoms, were replaced by a politician like Spanberger who is willing to allow a call for political violence from a ticket mate simply to rise to power.
Fortunately for Virginia residents, the momentum is shifting rapidly, but more needs to be done to protect the Old Dominion. Right now, NRA-PVF is mobilizing members and gun owners, speaking with voters at their doors, on the phones, and at community events across the Commonwealth. Together, gun owners across the political spectrum will protect Virginia and elect principled leaders like Winsome Earle-Sears, Jason Miyares, and John Reid.
John Commerford is executive director of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action.
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