RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican who has embraced prosecutions against election fraud and other conservative causes, said Monday he will seek reelection next year, dispelling speculation about a possible gubernatorial bid.
Miyares said in a video that he is running for attorney general to continue his tenure as Virginia’s top prosecutor and his nearly decade of experience as a politician. The announcement puts to rest questions about whether Miyares would run to succeed Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who is term-limited by the state constitution.
“Three years ago, I made one promise to the people of Virginia: to keep you and your family safe,” Miyares said in the campaign video on social platform X. “And as Attorney General, I serve as the people’s protector. ”
Miyares, 48, was elected in 2021 after serving as a local attorney and member of the Virginia Beach House of Delegates. He defeated two-term Democrat Mark Herring and quickly turned what had been a liberal office into a conservative venture.
He created an “election integrity unit” and successfully defended the state by removing people accused of not being citizens from the voter rolls less than 90 days before the November presidential election – a legal battle that drew criticism from Democrats and voting rights advocates.
Also vying for the role are Democrats Jay Jones, a former state delegate from Norfolk, and Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor. This is the second time Jones has sought the Democratic nomination for attorney general. In 2021, he lost in a primary against Herring.
Miyares is the only Republican currently running for his party’s nomination, making the winner of the Democratic primary his likely opponent in a general election unless another conservative challenges him.
Miyares was widely seen in political circles as a possible gubernatorial candidate in 2025, along with Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who launched her campaign in September. During a 2023 interview, Miyares declined to say whether he was considering a run, but said he always felt flattered” when asked the question.
Miyares has built a reputation in Virginia as a conservative, tough guy who clashed with progressive prosecutors in Northern Virginia who touted a commitment to a reformed criminal justice system. During his tenure, he worked with local governments across the state to develop a program to address violent repeat offenders. His office also filed charges against Loudoun County officials after a student was charged in two sexual assaults at separate schools, although a judge overturned their only successful conviction following the high-profile investigation.
Miyares also has deeper ties with key players in Washington, raising his national profile. Miyares’ former communications director, Victoria LaCivita, is the daughter of Chris LaCivita, co-chair of President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign. Victoria LaCivita left office in 2024 to work for the Trump campaign in Michigan.
As first reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Miyares also served as Virginia co-chair in Sen. Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign, and Rubio led a fundraiser for Miyares in December 2017. Both Rubio and Miyares are children of Cuban immigrants.
“I worked to protect the American dream because it is personal to me,” Miyares said in his campaign video, later adding, “And as a child of an immigrant, one of the proudest things I get to do is, attending the naturalization ceremony. ceremony and welcome these new Virginians home.
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Olivia Diaz is a staff member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
