Winsome Earle-Sears Releases Ad Amid Text Message Controversy

A new political ad dropped Sunday and it’s already shaking up Virginia’s high-stakes governor’s race. Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears is going directly after her Democratic opponent, Abigail Spanberger, by tying her to a growing controversy involving attorney general candidate Jay Jones — and the backlash is picking up steam.

The one-minute ad, now circulating widely on social media, features real news reports and screen captures of text messages that Jones allegedly sent in 2022, which included graphic references to political violence. In one message, Jones joked about shooting former Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert — and compared him to Hitler and Pol Pot.

The ad cuts quickly between headlines, photos of Spanberger and Jones smiling on the campaign trail, and a clip of Spanberger saying, “It’s been great to be out on the campaign trail with Jay Jones.” It ends with stark white letters flashing on a black screen:

“Reject the insanity. Vote Republican.”

Earle-Sears posted the ad on X (formerly Twitter), writing:

“Jay Jones dreamed of murdering two young kids and their dad over politics — and Abigail Spanberger wants him to be attorney general.”

The messages at the center of the firestorm surfaced late last week. In a text obtained by Fox News Digital, Jones reportedly wrote:

“Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler, and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.”

In another message, he appeared to target Gilbert’s family, writing that the Speaker and his wife Jennifer were probably “breeding little fascists.” The texts date back to August 2022, shortly after Jones had left the state legislature.