Attorney general candidates agree to VSB debate

The two main candidates for attorney general, incumbent Jason Miyares and former Del. Jay Jones, have agreed to a debate hosted by the Virginia State Bar.  

Jones, the Democratic nominee, announced he accepted the VSB’s invitation to debate in an Aug. 6 release from his campaign. 

“Jay has accepted the Virginia State Bar debate on October 16th, when he looks forward to sharing his plans to protect and defend Virginia families,” Jones’ campaign communications director Georgia Greenleaf said in a statement. 

On Aug. 15, Miyares’ campaign announced it formally accepted the bar’s invitation to debate. 

“Once we received the rules – participating in the Virginia State Bar Debate was a quick and easy decision,” Miyares’ campaign press secretary Alex Cofield said in a statement.  

Each statement also contained attacks on the other candidate, with the Jones campaign claiming Miyares, the incumbent Republican attorney general, has a “record of using the AG’s office to advance an extremist MAGA agenda.” 

Miyares’ campaign, meanwhile, called Jones “soft” for not debating until after early voting begins and mentioned how the candidate had not accepted an invitation to debate on WJLA-TV. 

The VSB did not provide details on when and where the debate would be held, but the Jones campaign’s statement shared that the debate would be held on Oct. 16.  

The VSB debate is currently the only confirmed debate between Jones and Miyares and is the first confirmed debate between any of the statewide political candidates.  

Days after the Miyares campaign accepted the VSB’s debate invitation, gubernatorial candidates Winsome Earle-Sears and Abigail Spanberger both accepted invitations to debate at Norfolk State University on Oct. 9. 

Early voting in the 2025 general election begins Sept. 19, and Election Day is Nov. 4.