Jay Jones is a husband, dad to two boys, and he’s running for Attorney General because Virginians deserve an Attorney General who will fight for Virginia families. A lifelong resident of Norfolk, Jay’s call to public service was generations in the making.
Jay Jones is running for Attorney General to protect Virginia families — from crime and violence, corporate price gouging, and politicians with extreme agendas. Because Jay knows that our freedoms have always depended on people willing to fight for them.
As a member of the House of Delegates, Jay fought to expand Medicaid, increase the minimum wage, and give teachers annual pay raises. Jay was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates three times, representing the 89th District in Norfolk. In Richmond, he gave voice to progressive energy and environmental policies that improve the lives of all Virginians while preserving our air, water, and land. A tireless legislator, Jay championed legislation known as the “Ashanti Alert,” establishing a missing persons alert for adults in the Commonwealth. The “Ashanti Alert” is now used nationwide.
Jay previously served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, where he was a member of the Office of Consumer Protection. In this role he took on gun manufacturers, financial institutions, and housing conglomerates to vindicate the rights of everyday citizens.
Today, Jay is an attorney at Hogan Lovells, where he focuses his practice on state Attorneys General work as well as regulatory and policy matters, including environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) issues. An accomplished litigator, Jay led the fight on behalf of the Virginia NAACP against the Youngkin Administration to protect voting rights. Jay has also advocated tirelessly for reproductive healthcare access and abortion rights as a member of the Virginia Planned Parenthood board.
The descendant of slaves, Jay’s family has been in Norfolk since the early 20th century. His grandfather, Hilary H. Jones, Sr., was a pioneering Civil Rights attorney in Norfolk and became the first Black member of the Norfolk School Board. In 1969, he was appointed to the State Board of Education, the first Black to be named to the board in the history of Virginia.
Jay’s father, Jerrauld C. Jones, is one of the few Virginians to serve in all three branches of state government. He was a member of the General Assembly from 1988 – 2002, served as Director of the Department of Juvenile Justice under Governor Mark Warner and is a retired Circuit Court judge. His mother, Lyn Simmons, is currently a judge on the Norfolk Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court after a long career as a violent crime prosecutor and attorney in private practice.
Like his forebears before him, Jay is dedicated to ensuring his community and Commonwealth embraces every family — no matter who you are or where you come from.
Jay completed his undergraduate studies at the College of William and Mary, and earned his law degree from the University of Virginia. Jay, his wife Mavis, and two sons live in Norfolk, where they are members of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception.
