Jay Jones, a former Norfolk state delegate who came up short in a challenge to two-term attorney general Mark Herring in the 2021 Democratic Party primary, announced on Tuesday that he will run for the 2025 Democratic attorney general nomination.
“Today, with hope for a brighter future for our Commonwealth and our nation, I am proud to announce my campaign for attorney general of Virginia,” said Jones, a Norfolk native who served two terms in the Virginia House of Delegates.
A William & Mary and UVA Law alum, Jones is a former assistant attorney general in the District of Columbia who is now a staff an attorney at the Northern Virginia-based Hogan Lovells, where he focuses his practice on regulatory and policy matters, including environmental, social, and corporate governance issues.
Jones was involved in the legal fight on behalf of the Virginia NAACP against the Youngkin administration to protect voting rights, and has also advocated for reproductive healthcare access and abortion rights as a member of the Virginia Planned Parenthood board.
“The incoming Trump administration threatens families with higher healthcare costs, higher prices, and hazards to our health. And President-elect Trump will find an eager accomplice in Virginia Attorney General Miyares,” Jones said. “Jason Miyares has used his office to advance his own radical, ideological agenda, not protect Virginians. If the Trump administration again tries to raise healthcare costs by taking apart the Affordable Care Act, I’ll be the first to take them to court to stop it. And I will always fight back against any attempt to undermine abortion rights in Virginia.”
Jones is the second candidate to declare for the 2025 Democratic Party attorney general race.
Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor got a head start on the race by launching her campaign in July.
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