Democrat Jay Jones has won the Virginia election for attorney general, defeating Republican incumbent Jason Miyares and making history as the first Black person to serve in the role in the commonwealth.

Jones, 36, secured his victory despite a highly publicized controversy over text messages from 2022 in which he made threats toward a fellow state lawmaker. He apologized for the remarks but successfully shifted campaign focus to issues such as federal overreach, tariffs, and threats to Virginia’s health-care system.

Miyares, a Trump-aligned incumbent, had hoped to retain the office amid a challenging political environment for Republicans. Analysts point to Jones’s ability to withstand the scandal, combined with broader dissatisfaction among voters, as key factors in his win.

The result signals a significant shift in Virginia’s political landscape and may have implications for future legal and policy action by the state’s Democratic leadership.