Jones goes after incumbent Herring over police reform in Democratic attorney general
Mark Herring and Jay Jones
The Democratic lawmaker challenging Attorney General Mark Herring in the June 8 primary aggressively critiqued him in their first debate Wednesday evening, calling out the incumbent’s reluctance to use his office to investigate police shootings and saying Virginians are tired of inaction on police accountability.
Del. Jay Jones, D-Norfolk, launched his attacks in Arlington, where he and Herring debated in the studios of WJLA-TV.
Jones portrayed himself as a progressive who would move the office into a new direction by prioritizing criminal justice reform and reining in police abuses.
“All the experience in the world doesn’t mean a thing if you’ve got to be pushed to do the right thing,” Jones said. “This office can do so much, and we have to look ahead to this new Virginia decade.”
Herring, with nearly eight years in the office and seeking a third term, has a long list of accomplishments he’s citing in his bid, including litigating against policies of then-President Donald Trump, support for gay rights and legalizing marijuana, fighting white supremacy and testing of a backlog of rape kits.
Herring said he righted wrongs as attorney general, “transforming the job from the top cop to the people’s lawyer.”
“Progress requires commitment, courage, experience and an ability to put that experience to work,” Herring said. “We’ve got a lot still ahead of us, and that’s why I am asking for you to let me continue fighting for you.”
Read More: Jones goes after incumbent Herring over police reform in Democratic attorney general