Meet The Candidate: Jason Miyares For Virginia Attorney General

VIRGINIA — Virginia residents will be going to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 2 to vote for statewide offices in Virginia, including governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.

As part of our 2021 election coverage, Patch asked each of the candidates to fill out a questionnaire to describe why they think they're the best person to fill the job they're running for.

This questionnaire was completed by Del. Jason Miyares who is running for attorney general of Virginia.

In-person early voting began in Virginia on Sept. 17. The last day to request a ballot be mailed to you is Friday, Oct. 22 at 5 p.m. On Nov. 2, election day, the polls across Virginia will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Learn more about Del. Miyares and why he is running for attorney general of Virginia:

Candidate

Jason Miyares

Age (as of Election Day)

45

Position sought (mayor, city council, school board, etc.)

Attorney General

Party Affiliation

Republican

Family

I am married to my lovely wife Page, the diamonds of my heart are my three daughters and a golden retriever named Buckley.

Education

• Undergraduate - James Madison University, Bachelors in Business Administration (B.B.A)
• Law School - College of William and Mary (J.D)

Occupation

• Former Prosecutor, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney
• Attorney

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Virginia House of Delegates, 82nd District

Campaign website

jason4ag.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I like to say that my story doesn’t begin in Virginia Beach, Virginia, but in Havana, Cuba, where a scared 19-year-old girl, penniless and homeless, got on an airplane, with no idea where her next meal would come from. That was my mother, Miriam Miyares. My mother came to America for a better life for her future family and raised my two brothers and me with a love for democracy and a love for the country that gave our family a second chance. Virginia’s my home. But, over the past eight years, I’ve watched our Attorney General prioritize his personal political agenda. Our Parole Board broke the law by ignoring victims’ rights — and he refused to hold them accountable. He stayed silent. I think Virginians deserve better than a do-nothing Attorney General with a failed record like Mark Herring, which is why I’m running for office.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The most important issue facing our Commonwealth is public safety. Our murder rate in Virginia is the highest it’s been in decades. Last year, our Parole Board violated state law by releasing murders, rapists, cop killers, and child abductors early, without notifying their victims or prosecuting attorneys. Instead of investigating this scandal, as is the job of the Attorney General, Mark Herring did nothing. We have a shortage of law enforcement officers all across the state as they leave police forces in droves because of the criminal first, victim last policies being pushed in Richmond. Our schools are increasingly unsafe, with the Democratic majority even voting to end the mandatory reporting requirement of sexual assault in our schools which has led to tragic consequences for our young female students.

As Attorney General, I will provide our law enforcement with the support and resources they need to make sure our communities are safe and secure. I will prioritize public safety instead of politics, and work to make sure that violent, repeat offenders stay off our streets. I’ll put an end to the criminal first, victim last mentality in Richmond and on day one, I’ll open an investigation into the Parole Board.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

The biggest difference between myself and my opponent is that he’s been trained as a politician —I’ve been trained as a prosecutor. I’ve held the hands of victims and put violent criminals behind bars. My opponent has bragged about turning the Attorney General’s office into a “progressive powerhouse,” using it to push his personal political agenda. For example, he turned down federal grant money to prosecute gun crimes because it didn’t align with his personal political beliefs. I think that’s outrageous. The Attorney General of Virginia has been called the “Top Cop.” We need a “Top Cop” that actually prioritizes public safety, not politics. Mark Herring has continually put the law-breaking before the law-abiding, and it’s time that changed. One party left-wing rule has not helped us in Virginia, and we desperately need a check and balance in Richmond. As Attorney General, I’ll be that common-sense check and balance we so desperately need.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

There is a reason that eight years ago the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce endorsed Mark Herring and now refuses to do so. There is a reason that the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) endorsed Mark Herring previously and now proudly endorses my campaign for Attorney General. There is a reason that the Hampton Roads Black Caucus, which has never previously endorsed a Republican for statewide office has endorsed me. I’m proud to also have the support of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the majority of Sheriffs and Commonwealth’s Attorneys from across Virginia, including Independents and Democrats. As Democrat Sheriff Shuler of Smith County noted, the far left polices coming out of Richmond and Mark Herring have forced him to go against his own party and support my campaign for Attorney General. Mark Herring has a failed record. He’s put politics ahead of public safety and law-breaking criminals ahead of law-abiding citizens at every chance he gets. When federal grant money was being handed to Virginia to help prosecute gun crimes, he turned it down — because he didn’t want to have to deport an illegal immigrant that used a gun in the commission of a felony. When the Virginia Parole Board released murders, rapists, child abductors, and cop killers secretly, many of whom with decades on their sentence, without notifying the victims and prosecuting attorneys as required by Virginia law, he did nothing. He turned the other way and refused to hold them accountable. He touts endorsements from groups that want to defund the police, while our murder rate is the highest it’s been since the turn of his century. He’s failed at his job so badly not even Ralph Northam thought Mark Herring deserved a third term.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

COVID-19 has been one of the greatest tragedies to ever befallen on this great nation. People are anxious, rightly so, as almost every American has been touched by this virus. I’m pro vaccine, as we cannot mask our way out of this pandemic. I’m vaccinated, so are my wife and our eligible daughters. However, I also am a firm believer in individual dignity and freedom of conscience. Every Virginian needs to reach their own conclusion on the vaccines and should be encouraged to do so. The good news is 75 percent of eligible Americans have gotten at least one vaccine shot, so it is a testimony to American ingenuity and know-how that we’ve gotten the shot to so many that need it.

Contact information for your local voter registration office can be found at elections.virginia.gov/VRO.

RELATED:

• Meet The Candidate: Princess Blanding For Virginia Governor
• Meet The Candidate: Winsome Sears For VA Lieutenant Governor