Gov. Ralph Northam will back Del. Jay Jones in his bid for attorney general, Jones’ campaign announced Thursday.
Jones, a two-term lawmaker and lawyer from Norfolk, won Northam’s backing over incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring, who is seeking a third term. All three are Democrats.
Northam said in a statement released Thursday it’s “time for a new generation to take the reins.”
Early in 2019, when Northam’s old college yearbook page surfaced including a photo of figures in blackface and Ku Klux Klan robes, Herring called on Northam to step down. Many other Democrats and Republicans were doing the same at the time.
After initially issuing an apology seemingly confirming he was one of the figures in the photo, Northam recanted and has since denied that he is in the picture. He did, however, admit to wearing blackface while dressed as Michael Jackson during a dance contest in the 1980’s.
Herring — who also admitted to having worn blackface decades earlier and similarly resisted calls to resign — said his call for Northam’s resignation wasn’t about the blackface, but about the fact that Northam changed his story in the hours after the scandal broke, which undermined public trust in the governor.
Jones was personally quiet at the time on the scandals, though groups he was involved with like the House Democratic Caucus and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus called for Northam to step down. Jones later gave a speech on the House floor about his family’s experience with racism.
Since the scandals, Northam’s tenure as governor has been marked by overtures to the Black community and policy priorities focused on diversity and equity.
Herring has supported many of the same criminal justice reforms that Northam, Jones and other Democrats have backed in recent years, and was an early voice advocating for marijuana legalization in the state.
In the release announcing the endorsement, Northam noted that Jones “has stood with me every step of the way in our journey to make Virginia a more just and equitable place.”
“He also understands the deep scars of racism and will represent the diversity of our Commonwealth,” Northam said.
Jones, if elected, would be the state’s first Black Attorney General.
Ryan Murphy, 757-739-8582, ryan.murphy@pilotonline.com
