Jones unseats Miyares to become Virginia’s first Black attorney general

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Former delegate Jay Jones will be Virginia's first Black attorney general, according to the Associated Press.

On Tuesday, Nov. 4, Virginians cast their votes and picked Jones as their next attorney general. As of about 10:10 p.m. on Tuesday, he has 52.2% of the vote -- enough to unseat Republican incumbent Jason Miyares by a 5-point margin.

Jones, a Virginia native and the descendant of enslaved Black Americans, previously represented Norfolk in the state's House of Delegates from 2018 to 2021. He won his bid for attorney general -- and became the first Black person to hold the position -- despite violent texts he sent during his time in the House being shared in October, generating significant controversy.

Miyares, the son of a Cuban immigrant, took over the office of Virginia's attorney general in 2022. Prior to that, he represented Virginia's 82nd district from 2016 to 2021. He was the first Cuban American to serve in Virginia's General Assembly and the first Latino to hold statewide office in the Commonwealth.

You can watch Jones' victory speech, which he gave at Abigail Spanberger's watch party at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, in full below.

This reporting is based on preliminary election results from the AP. All election results are unofficial until certified by Virginia’s State Board of Elections.

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