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Jay Jones won Alexandria decisively in the attorney general race, taking 77% of the city’s vote to defeat Republican Jason Miyares 47,317 to 13,412. But 630 Alexandria voters — just over 1% — chose to write in someone else entirely.
The write-in ballots offer a window into voter sentiment in one of Virginia’s most Democratic jurisdictions after one of the most explosive political scandals in recent state history.
The scandal
One month before the November 4 election, the National Review published screenshots of private text messages from August 2022 showing Jones fantasizing about violence against then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his children.
In messages to Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Chesterfield, Jones wrote that Gilbert “gets two bullets to the head,” followed by a wish that the Republican lawmaker’s children “die in their mother’s arms.”
The revelation drew national attention. President Donald Trump called Jones a “Radical Left Lunatic” and gave his “Complete and Total Endorsement” to Miyares. Republicans launched attack ads and called for Jones to drop out. Many Democrats condemned the remarks, though party leaders stopped short of demanding he end his campaign.
Jones apologized, calling the texts “a grave mistake” that made him “sick to my stomach.”
The most popular write-in: Shannon Taylor
The most common write-in in Alexandria was “Shannon Taylor,” appearing dozens of times in various spellings including “Shannon Tayllor,” “Shannan Taylor,” “Shannon Tayloe,” and “Shanon Taylor.”
Taylor, who served as Loudoun County’s Commonwealth’s Attorney, ran against Jones in the Democratic primary. Her frequent write-in presence suggests either an organized effort or that some primary voters remained committed to their choice — or uncomfortable with Jones after the scandal.
Other political figures
Several other names appeared on ballots:
National politicians:
- Donald Trump (multiple times, including “DONALD TRUMP” in all caps)
- Barack Obama
Virginia officials:
- Don Beyer (U.S. Representative for Alexandria’s district)
- Glenn Youngkin (Virginia’s governor)
- Abigail Spanberger (who won the governor’s race on the same ballot)
Rejection votes
Several voters expressed dissatisfaction with all candidates:
- “N/A” (multiple times)
- “NONE”
- “None of the above”
- “No one”
- Blank write-ins with filled bubbles
Protest votes
At least one ballot read “FREE PALESTINE” — the same phrase that appeared in the governor and lieutenant governor races, suggesting a voter using the ballot to make a statement on Middle East policy.
Personal names and humor
Most write-ins appear to be personal names that don’t match known political figures, suggesting friends, family, or local community members.
A few humorous entries appeared:
- “Mickey Mouse”
- Various celebrities and pop culture references
Voting methods
The 630 Alexandria write-ins came through:
- 212 in early voting
- 356 on Election Day
- 44 by mail
- 11 provisional
- 7 post-election
What it means
The write-in patterns reveal several dynamics:
Limited impact from scandal: While Jones won Alexandria decisively, 630 write-ins in a city this size is higher than typical for an attorney general race, suggesting the controversy may have driven some voters away from the Democratic nominee.
Alternative for uncomfortable Democrats: Shannon Taylor’s strong write-in showing in Alexandria suggests some Democratic voters sought a way to avoid supporting Jones without voting Republican.
Overwhelming victory in blue Alexandria: Jones’s 34,000-vote margin in the city shows the scandal wasn’t “disqualifying” as Republicans claimed, at least in heavily Democratic areas.
Geographic context matters: Alexandria gave Democratic gubernatorial candidate Spanberger 83% of the city’s vote in the same election. Jones’s 77% may indicate some erosion, though he still won overwhelmingly.
The broader context
The 630 write-ins in Alexandria — while notable — represented just 1% of votes cast in the city and had no effect on the outcome.
For a write-in vote to count toward a candidate’s official total in Virginia, that person must register as a write-in candidate with the state. Otherwise, the vote is tallied but doesn’t affect results.
METHODOLOGY NOTE: This analysis is based on my review of Alexandria’s official write-in assignment documents from the Nov. 4, 2025, general election, which contain images of all write-in ballots requiring adjudication. Some handwriting was difficult to decipher, and some names may be spelled phonetically. All totals are from official election results.
More on the write-in vote
Ryan Belmore
Ryan Belmore
Ryan Belmore
Ryan Belmore
