The Democratic nominee for governor of Virginia endured a car-crash debate after refusing to withdraw her endorsement of a fellow Democrat who called for a Republican’s family to be shot. 

Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger stood icily silent as her GOP opponent, Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, repeatedly questioned her about the scandal. 

Spanberger refused to condemn scandal-hit Jay Jones, the Democrat’s nominee for Virginia attorney general, despite his violent remarks.

The controversy erupted last week after text messages sent by Jones in 2022 were exposed, showing he suggested a Republican colleague and his family should be murdered. 

In the messages, Jones fumed about how the then-Republican speaker of the House of Delegates, Todd Gilbert, responded to the death of a former Democrat in the House, saying: ‘Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, hitler, and pol pot [sic]. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.’ 

Jones also branded Gilbert’s children ‘little fascists’, and appeared to advocate political violence saying, ‘Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy’.

The scandal has dominated Virginia’s upcoming elections. Spanberger was repeatedly grilled by Earle-Sears over her continued support for Jones during Thursday night’s debate.

‘Why won’t she say he must leave the race?’ the GOP hopeful asked, to a stonily silent response.

Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic nominee for governor of Virginia, endured a car-crash debate Thursday night as she refused to drop her endorsement for her party’s nominee for attorney general after he called for a Republican’s family to be shot

Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears used the scandal as ammunition repeatedly throughout the debate on Thursday night 

‘Because Jay Jones advocated for the murder, Abigail, the murder of a man as well as his children, who were two and five-years-old,’ the Republican said. 

Earle-Sears turned to face her opponent as she continued: ‘You have little girls. 

‘Would it take him pulling the trigger? Is that what it would take for you to say he needs to get out of the race?’ 

Spanberger stared straight ahead as Earle-Sears berated her for her handling of the incident, and did not respond as the Republican continued questioning her. 

‘Abigail, you have nothing to say? What if he said it about your three children? Is that when you’d say he should get out of the race, Abigail?’ 

Later in the debate, Earle-Sears again pressed her opponent over whether she would continue to endorse Jones.

Spanberger, pictured with Joe Biden in 2022, holds a comfortable lead in the race ahead of voting day on November 4, with most polls showing her with an advantage of between five and 12 points 

Earle-Sears, pictured with Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, is the current Virginia Luietenant Governor 

Spanberger then only said the texts were ‘abhorrent’, but stopped short of saying he had lost her support. 

Her refusal to drop her endorsement led to a fiery exchange between the Democrat and Earle-Sears, with even the moderators losing their patience with her non-answer. 

Spanberger said it was, ‘important to denounce political violence’, leading Earle-Sears to remind her: ‘The question is are you going to tell him to get out of the race?’ 

After the Democrat said she felt it was critical to ‘set a good example to our children,’ the moderator responded: ‘I didn’t hear an answer there. 

‘Will you continue to endorse Jay Jones to be the next Attorney General of Virginia, and were you aware of these text messages before they were released?’ 

Spanberger again did not answer if Jones has lost her support, saying ‘it will be up to the voters’.

The moderator tried again, saying: ‘Ms Spanberger, I understand what you are saying about the voters, but do you yourself, do you still support Jay Jones?’ 

Spanberger dodged the question a second time as she responded: ‘We are each running our individual races… it is up to each individual person to make their own decision. 

Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones (pictured) has faced intense calls to leave the race after his texts from 2022 were exposed 

In a private 2022 exchange with Republican Delegate Carrie Coyner, the attorney general nominee shockingly suggested that his political rival, then-House Speaker Gilbert, deserved to be brutally murdered

‘I am running my race to serve Virginia, and that is what I intend to do.’ 

The moderator appeared to grow frustrated as she said she hoped to ‘clarify’ where the Democrat stood, asking: ‘As of now, you still support Jay Jones for Attorney General?’ 

‘I am saying that, as of now, it is up to every voter to make their own individual decision,’ Spanberger responded. 

‘I am running for governor, I am accountable for the words that I say, for the acts that I take.’ 

Despite her car crash performance, Spanberger holds a comfortable lead in the race ahead of voting day on November 4, with most polls showing her with an advantage of between five and 12 points.