RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s Democratic candidate for attorney general has issued an apology after text messages from 2022, where he implied a prominent Republican should “get two bullets to the head,” were criticized.

These text messages have placed the Democratic contender, Jay Jones, in a difficult spot during the intense campaign. Early voting has already commenced in Virginia for the upcoming November election.

The campaign of Jones did not dispute the validity of the messages, reported initially by The National Review, and he publicly apologized to Todd Gilbert, whom the messages targeted. Jones expressed taking “full responsibility for my actions.” At the time these messages were sent, Gilbert served as the speaker of Virginia’s House of Delegates but no longer holds legislative office.

The exposure of these messages has brought strong cross-party criticism upon Jones. He is running against Republican incumbent Jason Miyares for the position of Virginia’s chief prosecutor.

Miyares ripped into Jones on Saturday, questioning his challenger’s fitness for the job.

“You must be in a very dark state of mind to make such a statement,” Miyares commented to journalists. “This wasn’t said by an outsider but by a colleague. Someone you’ve worked alongside.”

Following the exchange, Jones had a phone conversation with Republican House Delegate Carrie Coyner, wherein he reportedly recounted a scenario involving Gilbert’s children in distress, according to the National Review’s account.

“I have been a prosecutor, and I have been obviously serving as attorney general,” Miyares said. “I have met quietly one-on-one with victims. There is no cry like the cry of a mother that lost her child. None.”

A spokesperson for the Virginia House Republican caucus, contacted on Saturday by The Associated Press, said Gilbert was not commenting on the text messages. Gilbert stepped down as a legislator to become a federal prosecutor this year but resigned a month later.

The revelation about the text messages shook up the campaign and comes as both parties seek advantage in statewide races being closely watched for trends heading into next year’s midterm elections, when control of Congress is at stake. And it comes amid an escalating threat of political violence in the country following the shooting deaths of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and former Minnesota Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband.

In Virginia, other Democrats running for statewide office didn’t mince words in criticizing Jones.

Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, said in a statement Friday that she “spoke frankly with Jay about my disgust with what he had said and texted. I made clear to Jay that he must fully take responsibility for his words.” She vowed to ”always condemn violent language in our politics.”

Ghazala Hashmi, the Democrat running for lieutenant governor, said “political violence has no place in our country and I condemn it at every turn.” Hashmi added that “we must demand better of our leaders and of each other.” Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run separately in Virginia.

The Republican Attorneys General Association said Jones should withdraw from the campaign for his “abhorrent” text messages. The group’s chairman, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, said the messages were unacceptable “from someone who wants to represent law enforcement.”

“There is no place for political violence, including joking about it – especially from an elected official,” Kobach said.

Jones did not hold elected office when he sent the text messages about Gilbert to Coyner, who is seeking reelection in a competitive House district. Jones had formerly served as a state legislator, and stepped down in 2021.

In his texts, Jones wrote: “Three people two bullets … Gilbert, hitler, and pol pot … Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.” Pol Pot was the leader of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.

Conyer replied: “Jay … Please stop.” Jones responded: “Lol … Ok, ok.”

In his statement Friday, Jones said: “Reading back those words made me sick to my stomach. I am embarrassed, ashamed and sorry.”

“I have reached out to Speaker Gilbert to apologize directly to him, his wife Jennifer, and their children,” he added. “I cannot take back what I said; I can only take full accountability and offer my sincere apology.”

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Schreiner reported from Shelbyville, Kentucky.