With Election Day 2025 fast approaching, Virginians are weighing their choices in a pivotal statewide contest for attorney general, featuring Republican incumbent Jason Miyares and Democratic challenger Jay Jones.

Jason Miyares (R)

Jason Miyares, the first Hispanic American to hold statewide office in Virginia, swept into the attorney general’s post in 2021 alongside Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Four years later, he’s seeking reelection — and points to what he calls tangible results.

“We have worked tirelessly to reorient the attorney general’s office back to protecting you and your family,” Miyares said. “The results speak for themselves.”

Those “results,” he argues, include declines in murder, violent crime, and overdose deaths — particularly fentanyl-related fatalities. Between November 2023 and November 2024, Virginia led the nation in reducing drug overdoses, according to the CDC, while the Virginia Department of Health reported a 44% drop in fentanyl overdose deaths.

Miyares credits initiatives like Ceasefire Virginia and One Pill Can Kill, saying his office has removed enough fentanyl “to kill nearly 7 million Virginians.” The DEA recently recognized Virginia as #1 in the U.S. for reducing addiction deaths, more than doubling the national decline rate.

Education issues have also reemerged in Miyares’ campaign. From Confederate school name disputes in Shenandoah County to Title IX controversies in Loudoun County, Miyares has positioned himself as a defender of “common sense” in school governance.

“This is a classic case of administrators being so open-minded their brain falls out,” he said of Loudoun County’s disciplinary decision involving students and a transgender peer.

Miyares has repeatedly criticized Jones as lacking prosecutorial experience, calling him a “social justice warrior” unfit for Virginia’s top legal office.

“He’s never prosecuted a case a day in his life,” Miyares said. “Virginia’s not a red state or a blue state — it’s a common-sense state.”

Jay Jones (D)

Jay Jones, a former assistant attorney general in Washington, D.C., and a two-term delegate from Norfolk, brings legislative and legal experience to his campaign — along with a personal balancing act as a husband and father of two young sons.

In the House of Delegates, Jones built a reputation as a bipartisan problem-solver, supporting measures to expand affordable housing, lower prescription drug costs, and reform criminal justice. He also championed legislation to improve police transparency and economic opportunity in historically underserved communities.

Jones says his background as a legislator and lawyer gives him the tools to manage the attorney general’s office responsibly while focusing on public safety, consumer protection, and equal justice under the law.

He’s sharply critical of what he calls “partisan showmanship” in Miyares’ tenure, vowing to bring a results-driven and unifying approach to the role.

“We need an attorney general who fights for all Virginians — not just headlines,” Jones said. “That means protecting reproductive freedom, defending voting rights, and ensuring our public schools have the resources they need to thrive.”

Jones also pledges to stand up to federal overreach, especially policies he argues harm Virginia’s economy and workforce. He cites tariffs and federal job cuts that have impacted Northern Virginia as examples of issues requiring stronger state advocacy.

“Jason Miyares has shown time and time again that he won’t stand up to Donald Trump,” Jones said. “As attorney general, I’ll protect Virginia workers, families, and small businesses — no matter who’s in the White House.”

While both candidates agree on the urgency of fighting fentanyl and drug-related deaths, Jones emphasizes community-based prevention, treatment access, and rehabilitation as critical complements to law enforcement.

On education, he promises to depoliticize schools and strengthen collaboration among teachers, parents, and administrators to create “safe, inclusive learning environments.”

“We have an obligation to keep our students safe,” Jones said. “We should be lifting up educators and families — not turning classrooms into battlegrounds.”

Election Details

Polls open at 6 a.m. on Election Day, November 4.

Early voting continues through November 1.

The 2025 race will decide whether Jason Miyares extends the GOP’s control of Virginia’s executive branch — or if Jay Jones can flip the seat blue and reshape the state’s legal leadership.