ROANOKE, VA – This interview was conducted following a controversy involving text messages sent by Democratic nominee Jay Jones in 2022. For Jay Jones’s response to the text messages, click here.
The 2025 race for Virginia attorney general is drawing attention as voters look for leadership on issues from public safety to abortion access.
10 News anchor Abbie Coleman met with both candidates to explore their priorities, their plans, and how they would approach the top legal office in the Commonwealth.
She sat down one-on-one with Republican candidate Jason Miyares to discuss his vision for Virginia and why he believes he’s the right person for the job.
You can watch Democratic candidate Jay Jones’s interview here.
Read the full transcript of Abbie’s interview with Miyares below.
Thank you so much for joining me this afternoon.
Great to be with you. Thank you so much for having me, Abigail.
Jason Miyares
You’ve served the last four years as attorney general. Talk to me a little bit about what you feel to be your biggest successes.
Well, listen, I said that when I got elected to this office as attorney general, I was going to have a laser focus on public safety, the largest division by far, in the attorney general’s office, is the criminal division. Now, when I came in, Virginia had a murder rate that was at a 20-year high, a violent crime rate that was at a 30-year high, the highest levels of addiction deaths ever recorded in the history of Virginia. And I wanted to work with law enforcement. And so I made several promises to Virginians:
Number one, I promised that we would find everything we could to put more cops on the streets. And we launched Operation Bold Blue Line with the governor to put more cops in our community.
The second thing is, I promised we’re going to go after these violent repeat offenders that were hurting so many Virginians. Because what we were seeing is, roughly 5% of felons were committing over 50% of the violent felonies. You have to go after these repeat violent offenders. Also, I said we’re going to go after the fentanyl dealers, which we have. And so through Operation Ceasefire, and through our prosecutions, my office alone has prosecuted and removed enough fentanyl off the streets of Virginia that would have taken the lives of seven million of our fellow citizens. And Operation Ceasefire, just in Roanoke, what we saw was in these targeted 13 targeted cities, [where] we had too high levels of violence; In the city of Roanoke, what we saw was 0.12% of the population of the city of Roanoke (that’s less than one-fifth of 1%), were committing over 30% of the homicides. So you could see from our perspective, we had to go after that small subset of repeat violent offenders, most of which were in the narcotics trade. We investigated ‘em, we indicted ‘em, we prosecuted ‘em. We had these assistant AGs bring these cases in federal court. And it’s been a remarkable turnaround. The murder rate in the city of Roanoke has dropped 62%. And we’ve seen similar drops in other cities. So we’re so proud of this huge drop we’ve had in the violent crime rate after me inheriting an office in a Virginia that had such high levels.
But probably the thing I’m most proud of is the fact that, earlier this year, it was announced that Virginia was the number one state in the entire country, [to] drop in addiction deaths and fentanyl deaths. And so going after the fentanyl dealers, getting them off the streets. We prosecuted the big pharmaceutical companies that had pushed OxyContin into our communities, and $1.5 billion in settlements that have now come back to Virginia. That’s money that’s gone to treatment. We have seen a huge change in our drop of addiction deaths, our drop in our violent crime rate, our drop in our murder rate. So I said as attorney general, I was going to be the people’s protector, and that Virginians’ safety was going to be my number one mission. We have delivered for Virginia because crime is not a partisan issue. A carjacker is never going to care whether you’re a Republican or Democrat before they commit an act of violence. So my job is to protect all Virginians, regardless of your political affiliation.
Jason Miyares
Talk to me a little bit about the top issues you’ve focused on during this campaign, and if elected, what you would focus on day one back in office.
Well, from day one, I’m going to continue to ask Virginians to rehire me to continue to protect them. And my attitude is I’m going to protect all Virginians. This is not a partisan office. I know my opponent wants to try to make this some type of partisan office dealing with Washington. Your number one job as attorney general is you’re the top prosecutor in the entire state. That is your number one job. Your job is to protect Virginians. And that would continue to be my mission, protecting all Virginians, regardless of whether you voted for me. I have never met a victim of crime that I’ve ever asked them whether they ever voted for me or what their political affiliation is. That’s not my mindset. So I’m going to I want to continue a lot of the successes we’ve had, protecting Virginians, lowering our violent crime rate. The same result we’ve seen in Roanoke. I want to expand Operation Ceasefire to more cities moving forward. We have a very aggressive lawsuit against big tech companies and how they targeted our kids. I want to make sure that our kids obviously are protected online.
But I do think this election now, has shifted. This is really not an election about a Republican or Democrat. This is now a referendum on decency. I can’t imagine somebody running to be the attorney general of Virginia, in which your number one job is protecting and stopping violence, and being somebody who has advocated for the murder and violence of small children in their mother’s arms. That’s what he wrote. That’s what he’s advocated for. I can’t imagine someone that’s running to be the top prosecutor in the state, as Jay Jones has, who’s never been a prosecutor a day in his life, and we know he has told a colleague that he wants to see cops die. All in this name of somehow this is how policy [should] change. And I don’t think that’s what Virginians should expect out of their leaders. Despite the dysfunction of Washington, we’ve always expected more out of our leaders in Richmond. This sense of decency and decorum. And so, I’m asking Virginians not just to rehire me, but Jay Jones has never been a prosecutor, and now he’s a politician seeking a promotion. And he’s a politician who’s seeking a promotion after advocating for violence on children. I just think he’s completely unqualified, and he’s disqualified himself from running in this office.
Jason Miyares
I consider Virginia to be a very diverse and unique state, in the fact that you can go up to Northern Virginia and it can feel like a completely different state than when you’re down here in Southwest Virginia. How do you plan to address the needs of people in Southwest Virginia?
For me, Southwest Virginia is not just a place on a map, it’s a place in my heart, because it reminds me of my childhood. I spent 11 years of my childhood right over the border in East Tennessee in Appalachia. And so whenever I come to Roanoke, or any place in Southwest Virginia, Abingdon or Galax, I always feel like I’m going back to those incredible memories I had of growing up in Appalachia. So I love Southwest Virginia. They’re some of the most industrious, hardworking, God-fearing, decent people you’ll ever meet anywhere. They will give the shirt off [their] back. And so I love Southwest Virginia. But yes, I am an attorney general for all Virginians in every part. I’m the first child of an immigrant ever elected to this office. My mother fled communist Cuba with literally, with nothing but the clothes on her back. And she taught me to love America and love freedom. But what I love to say is if your family came to this country seeking hope and opportunity, your family is a lot like my family, and it’s been the honor of my life to be your attorney general these last four years, and I’m asking you to rehire me for another four years to continue to protect you and your family and all Virginians.
Jason Miyares
Healthcare continues to be a very pressing issue. Many Virginians are worried about rural hospitals closing. They’re worried about losing their health care. What do you think the best way is to address that so that Virginians don’t fall through the cracks, and what role does the attorney general’s office play in that?
Well, we want to protect consumers and protect those in healthcare. And one of the roles we have is making sure, for example, medical costs go down. We’re very proud of the work we’ve done going after these things called PBM pharmacy benefit management groups. They are actually the ones that inflate our drug prices. It’s multiple levels. And so it’s kind of almost like a collusion that happens with some of these pharmacies. And so we actually have brought a lawsuit on PBMs because we found that they were inflating the prices of these pharmaceutical drugs. And so, that I think is one of the key issues: consumer protection. That’s why we went after the big pharmaceutical companies when they were pushing OxyContin, that really affected so many Virginians. In fact, the reason why we had this national addiction crisis in our country is, about 25 years ago, some of the largest pharmaceutical companies on the planet came to Southwest Virginia, and they treated us like we were a chemistry experiment. And they decided to tell medical providers that they had this amazing new pain pill to push to those that were dealing with work-related injuries or sports-related injuries. And they were telling medical providers, “You have nothing to worry about, it’s called OxyContin.” And now we know that OxyContin is one of the most addictive chemicals known to man. So we have not been afraid in our office. In fact, we’ve been aggressive at going after [them] on that front because we want to make [sure] our drug prices and our medical prices are low and definitely not exploiting innocent Virginians.
Jason Miyares
I want to jump into abortion and reproductive access, another top concern of this election season. Where do you stand on these issues? And once again, how does the attorney general’s office play a role when it comes to topics of abortion and reproductive access?
Well, listen, I’ve always tried to find middle ground and compromise on this issue. I’ve always believed in exceptions. But I also believe that this is not going to be decided by the attorney general. I’m not in the legislature. There’s either going to be a ballot amendment next year or it’s going to be decided there. That’s very different than my opponent, Jay Jones, who believes in abortion anytime, anywhere, up until the moment of birth, paid for by you, the taxpayers, even after the gender reveal. And what I would also say is I think it’s important to note the other difference between me and my opponent as far as who’s better to protect women: My opponent is the one who’s voted to allow biological men on women’s sports teams and in locker rooms. My opponent has advanced that agenda. So when the Roanoke College women’s swim team voted unanimously not to have a biological boy on their women’s swim team, and they were overruled, I was the attorney general who stepped in, protected them, said that they had their civil rights violated, and I will always make sure I’m there to protect women and protect them either in the locker room or in the bathrooms or in their safe spaces as well. So I’m proud of our work, both protecting women, going after deadbeat dads with child support enforcement. We’ve aggressively done child support enforcement for our mothers, protecting our victims, being in the space, one of our big missions in our office, as well, is human trafficking. So we’re really proud of our record in the attorney general’s office protecting all Virginians.
Jason Miyares
Education’s been a very big focus in Virginia politics, specifically with parental rights and policies regarding transgender students and transgender student athletes. Could you further explain what your approach is and how you would address this if you were reelected?
Well, I mean, I just think this is, again, one of those big differences with me and my opponent. He’s voted to allow biological males in women’s sports teams and in locker rooms. So when we had the tragedy in Roanoke College, where the women’s swim team voted unanimously not to allow a male swimmer on the team, they were overruled, and I was the attorney general that proudly stepped in, protected them, and found that their civil rights had been violated. You know, I think this is a classic case of perhaps people being so open-minded their brain falls out. It makes no sense that we are trying to push biological men into women’s locker rooms and in their private spaces and in their bathrooms and on their sports teams. And when you talk to these young women, as I have, and I’ve gotten to know several of the Roanoke College Women’s Swim Team members, they felt humiliated. They felt ignored. And I decided to be their voice to protect them. And so I think good and reasonable people obviously can disagree on this issue, but at the end of the day, my job is to be the people’s protector. And that absolutely means protecting women’s sports.
We should pass the Protecting Women’s Sports Act here in Virginia, that has died every year in committee. And I think it’s a critical step to making sure all of our female athletes and our female students are protected in our schools. Because we all know what happened in Loudoun County, where my opponent voted to end the mandatory reporting requirement of sexual assault in schools, and a 15-year-old boy put on a skirt, walked into a bathroom in Loudoun County, brutally sexually assaulted another 15-year-old female student, and then he just got transferred to another school, rather than being reported to police where he sexually assaulted another student. Those are the type of reckless policies that my opponent, Jay Jones, has supported, in addition to calling for the violence of children of his political opponents. So I do think there’s a stark contrast between a proven track record [of] protecting women versus somebody who has a track record of not protecting women.
Jason Miyares
A lot of Virginians are feeling the squeeze from higher prices, whether it’s housing, groceries, utilities, you name it. How do you see the attorney general’s office playing a role in strengthening the economy and easing that financial burden for families?
Well, listen, my main job is consumer protection. To protect consumers. We brought numerous consumer protection cases against corporations that have exploited those [individual] Virginians. And part of my job is also, as we lower prices, be their advocate to make sure our energy prices are lower. My opponent supports a $500 million carbon tax on Virginia ratepayers, on your electric bill. I oppose a carbon tax on our electric bill. I have gone in front of the State Corporation Commission and opposed rate increases, both with Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy, to protect our energy prices. Because I came from a family where if the energy prices go up, sometimes you’re not going to go out to eat that Sunday after church. So I understand how, when you’re on a fixed budget, your energy prices go up. And I think my advocacy in front of the SEC for lower energy bills and opposing a carbon tax, I think, is one of the great differentiations between myself and my opponent, who supports the half-a-billion-dollar carbon tax.
Jason Miyares
I want to shift to polling a little bit. You’ve already spoken about the controversial texts sent by your opponent that have come out in recent weeks. Since then, there has been a shift in the polls. How do you plan to keep up the momentum as we near the finish line?
Well, listen, I do think the contrast is stark. There was already a stark contrast between my proven record as a prosecutor and Jay Jones, who’s a politician. He’s never been a prosecutor in his life. But I do think this election is so much more than what it was even a month ago. The eyes of the world are on us. I feel that press calls as far away as London and Sydney, Australia, because now this is a test of decency for us in Virginia. Are we going to elevate somebody as attorney general, Jay Jones, who’s literally called for the death of children of his political opponents? Who literally has said that he wants to piss on the graves of the people that he disagrees with politically? That’s such a mindset that you cannot have in this office. This isn’t a political office. This is an office of prosecutors. And I can’t imagine Jay Jones, who would never even be able to pass a background check, to be a line prosecutor in the attorney general’s office, leading an office of 700-some-people [whose] number one mission is protecting Virginians. So I do think this is a stark contrast. I think Virginians have this test of decency. We’ve always said in Virginia that despite the dysfunction in Washington, we’re going to do it differently in Richmond. We expect our leaders at the state level to conduct ourselves with a certain level of decency and decorum. When your number one job as attorney general is to stop violence, I can’t imagine somebody running for this job who’s advocated for violence. I mean, imagine this. How could Jay Jones ever comfort a mother that has lost her child to violence? Knowing that he’s advocated for the violence against children? How can he ever stand in front of a human trafficking survivor knowing that he’s advocated for violence against children as young as two and five years old? And so I do think this is a stark contrast, not even counting the fact that he went 116 miles an hour on Interstate 64, and to get out of a reckless driving ticket [and] any suspended or active jail time, he promised to do a thousand hours of community service, and he misled the court and did it for his own political action committee. So both his record, his lack of experience, and candidly, a worldview in which he wishes violence against children, I think, is disqualifying. I think this is now a test of decency. It’s why this story has gotten national implications. I’m confident Virginians are going to pass that test on Election Day.
Jason Miyares
I feel like constituents really like to know their leaders on more of a personal level. So, if you were reelected, what would this mean to you?
I will tell you, it’s not lost to me that this year, in October, just last week, was the 60th anniversary of a scared 19-year-old teenage girl in Havana, Cuba getting on an airplane, penniless and homeless, but she wasn’t helpless, because her dream was to flee communism and come to this country. I am the attorney general of Virginia because I realized this is the American miracle. I was raised to have such gratitude for this country. And I tell my own daughters that gratitude is the most underrated of all human traits. Ingratitude is the ugliest, but gratitude is the most underrated. I have such appreciation for what this country has given. And the fact that almost 60 years to the day that my mother fleeing Cuba with nothing, leaving a country with no consent of the governor, that she was able to go into a ballot booth and she was able to, that same week, vote for her son to be the top law enforcement officer in the entire state of Virginia, is an example of that American miracle. And it’s not lost on me. And I’ll just end with this. I have a sign I keep in my office in Richmond. I see it every day I sit at my desk. It’s my favorite quote from Thomas Jefferson, and it is this: “I have never found the difference of opinion in politics, philosophy, or religion as cause to withdraw from a friend.” It’s this idea that even if I disagree with somebody politically, I’m not going to withdraw the gift of friendship from them. And I would never think about ever withdrawing the protection of the attorney general’s office from them. I want to be an attorney general, as I’ve been the last four years, for all Virginians. Regardless of your background, regardless of whether you ever voted for me, your safety is my number one mission because crime is not a partisan issue. Rehire me to continue to protect you for the next four years.
Jason Miyares
Thank you so much, Jason. Is there anything else you want to add that I didn’t touch on or ask you this morning?
No, I think we got it. Thank you, Abigail.
Jason Miyares