Virginia AG race
Re “Comparison” (Your Views, Oct. 15): I’m wondering if the letter writer remembers President Donald Trump saying, “Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her, OK? Let’s see how she feels about it. You know, when the guns are trained on her face.” Both Trump’s comments and those of Democratic nominee for Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones are despicable and not the way politicians should express themselves when angry.
This then boils down to how the attorney general stands up and protects the people of the state. Incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares was suing to get the state out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which gave Virginia $800 million for flood mitigation and energy efficiency programs. With it stalling, we have to take money out of our budget to handle these projects.
Miyares failed to join 22 other attorneys general in suing the administration for illegally terminating public health funding. Virginia stands to lose more than $200 million in this program, which affects infectious disease testing, vaccine programs and other health initiatives. On education funding, Miyares refused to join 24 other states in suing the administration over the pause of funding affecting after-school programs. He also has stayed silent on tariffs that have caused economic hardships to all Virginians. Why does he stand silent on the sidelines?
I don’t stand up for any cruel language but Miyares’ policy positions on the above disasters will make my decision.
Lucy Taylor, Newport News
Jay Jones
Re “Jones’ texts described hypothetical violence to a peer” (Oct 4): I oppose violence in any form, but I also oppose muckraking (searching out scandalous info and making it public), which Republicans do when they feel like they’re losing the battle. Deep diving into a person’s private messages for political gain is abhorrent to me. I am sure there isn’t a person alive today who hasn’t joked about possible harm to an adversary, political or otherwise.
Democratic nominee for Attorney General Jay Jones is a man focused on making lives better for Virginians. Look at the issues before you condemn a comment made in the past. Vote Jones and look to the future.
Janet Meyer, Virginia Beach
Bipartisan
We will be having our state election on Nov. 4. Politically, I’m an independent with a strong belief in bipartisanship. My concern is about how we elect our presidents. Virginia’s election was not bipartisan in 2024. It should have awarded former Vice President Kamala Harris seven electors and Donald Trump six electors in 2024. The “winner-take-all” clause can be eliminated by the Virginia legislature; it can be done before the next presidential election.
About nine months ago, I wrote a one-page request to Williamsburg’s 71st District House delegate, asking for support of a bill making this award to all of our voting citizens, not just to the candidate who won the election by less than 5% of the total vote. From everything that I can find, my request has been ignored.
That is disappointing, but I’m not giving up. I still have hope. The “winner-take-all” clause can still be eliminated before the next presidential election. Two candidates are running for House District 71. I will re-submit my request to the winner. I don’t need to name the candidates — anyone who receives mail or watches television knows who they are. I believe that, if Virginia becomes bipartisan by honoring all of its voting citizens, it will also help to reduce the ridiculous animosity between the Republican and Democratic parties.
Hopefully, readers of this message will ask their chosen candidate to support this bill. For those who have already voted, do the same. Tell your favored candidate that you hope they win and that they will support this bill — after all, nearly all politicians claim to be bipartisan.
John J. Fennell, Williamsburg
