NORFOLK, Va. — A former Virginia Delegate who represented part of Norfolk has filed paperwork to run for Virginia Attorney General next year, his staff confirmed to 13News Now.
Democrat Jay Jones was first elected to represent the 89th District in 2017. In 2021, he ran an unsuccessful primary against then-Attorney General Mark Herring. Herring later lost the general election to Republican Jason Miyares, in a year when Republicans took control of both the House of Delegates and Virginia's top three statewide positions.
Jones resigned from the House of Delegates at the end of 2021 to focus on becoming a first-time father. He teased a possible run for AG in 2025 in his resignation announcement.
"Our work is not done and I intend to serve the people of Virginia for years to come. And that work may well mean a run for Attorney General in 2025," he wrote at the time.
On Monday, his staff told 13News Now that Jones still had plans for an AG run next year and had filed the paperwork to do so, but a formal announcement wouldn't be made until after this year's election in November.
"Jay remains solely focused on the critical elections in November, which is why he is in Newport News today campaigning for the Harris-Walz ticket. Any formal announcement will come after those elections have concluded," his staff said in a statement to 13News Now.
Jones is among the politicians attending U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott's annual Labor Day Cookout in Newport News on Monday. Other attendees include Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and U.S. Senator Tim Kaine.