Va. attorney general says he wants a second term in office

RICHMOND – Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said Monday he will seek a second term as the state’s top lawyer, clearing the deck for Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears to run unopposed for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. 
In a two-minute announcement video on X (formerly Twitter), Miyares said he sees himself as “the people’s protector.” He said he opted for a second term because he does not want the state “to return to the failed policies of the past where law-enforcement heroes are reviled, or criminals came first while victims came last. 
As he speaks of the “law-enforcement heroes,” footage is shown of Petersburg Police Chief Travis Christian sitting beside Miyares in a panel presentation. Christian is speaking while Miyares appears to be listening. 
Miyares touts his record in office, including the development of “Operation Ceasefire” to address crime “in our 13 most dangerous cities.” Petersburg and Hopewell are among those localities covered by Operation Ceasefire. 
He also points out his “One Pill Can Kill” anti-drug initiative and his fight with social-media companies “trying to get our children addicted to their apps.” 
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Miyares was immediately endorsed for a second term by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. In his own X post, Youngkin announced support for both Miyares and Earle-Sears, calling them indispensable partners to advance our shared, common-sense conservative policies” on business, law enforcement, education and the military. 
He also was immediately attacked by Virginia Democrats. 
In a statement emailed to The Progress-Index, party chair Susan Swecker called Miyares a “MAGA mouthpiece in pushing an extreme agenda” similar to the platform of President-elect Donald Trump. 
“It is clear that, if re-elected, Miyares would use his office as a partisan tool to serve the interests of the Trump administration, rather than the needs of hard-working Virginians,” Swecker’s statement read. 
As of now, Democrats will pick either former Del. Jay Jones or Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor as their choice for attorney general. 
Earle-Sears and Democratic U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger are the presumptive gubernatorial candidates for their parties. For lieutenant governor, four Democrats have announced intentions, and the only GOP candidate mentioned thus far is Richmond radio talk-show host John Reid. 
Miyares is the first person of Hispanic descent to be attorney general in Virginia. He ran four years ago, defeating incumbent Mark Herring and giving Republicans their first sweep of Virginia’s top three statewide offices in several years. 
Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at [email protected] or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.