Jay Jones wins Virginia attorney general despite scandal

Driving the news: Jones won despite the "October surprise" text messaging scandal that threatened to upend his campaign.

• That scandal also gave his opponent, incumbent Jason Miyares — a Republican and the state's first Latino attorney general — a huge fundraising advantage.

The big picture: Jones' win cements a Democratic sweep on the statewide ticket: Abigail Spanberger is Virginia's next governor and Ghazala Hashmi is lieutenant governor.

Catch up quick: Jones, a former state lawmaker from Norfolk, saw his campaign jolted by resurfaced 2022 text messages showing he suggested a hypothetical scenario in which he'd shoot the then-Republican House speaker.

• That was three weeks before Election Day, after over 355,000 Virginians had already voted.
• While Jones previously had a comfortable lead over Miyares, betting markets and polls flipped on him.

What we're watching: How Virginia's new leaders attempt to move past Jones' controversy, and whether they set the state's new agenda together.