(crowd cheering and chanting) JAY JONES: Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, Virginia.

(crowd cheering) Let me first start by thanking Jason Miyares for his service to our commonwealth.

In the weeks ahead, I look forward to sitting down with him to talk about where we can work together to do what's best for this commonwealth.

I also want to thank my family.

Thank you to my rock, Mavis Jones.

(crowd cheering) I would not be standing here tonight without her, and to Charles, (crowd cheering) and baby Zachary, who should be asleep.

Please know that your father loves you with everything that I have.

To my campaign manager, Rachel, (crowd cheering) and the entire campaign team, (crowd cheering) the best campaign team in politics, I say thank you.

(crowd applauding) To everybody who knocked on doors, who helped get out the vote, who gave their time and their money and their effort to support this campaign.

To everyone who didn't give up on this campaign, I say thank you.

(crowd cheering) And to the folks who stood by us every single step of the way, labor, we love you.

(crowd cheering) To the environmental community, we love you too.

(crowd cheering) And to the folks who want to protect abortion in this commonwealth, we love I too.

(crowd cheering) And I want to thank every Virginian tonight who's placed their trust in me.

The weight of that trust is not lost on me at all, nor is the history that led us to this moment right here.

My ancestors were slaves.

My grandfather was a civil rights pioneer who braved Jim Crow.

My father, my mother, my uncles, my aunts endured segregation, all so that I can stand here before you today.

My father was one of the first to integrate classrooms in Norfolk, Virginia, (crowd cheering) even as the attorney general of Virginia tried to shut those same schools down.

I know that I walk in the footsteps of those generations before me who fought and bled to guarantee the freedoms that we have in this democracy right now.

(crowd cheering) And I know that it's because of all of them and all of you tonight, that I am honored and ready to be your next attorney general of Virginia, (crowd cheering) the first Black person bestowed with this awesome responsibility in the history of this commonwealth.

(crowd cheering) Now, you all know this was a hard fought campaign, but at the end of the day, this election has never been about me or my opponent.

It has always been about every single one of us and the future of Virginia.

(crowd cheering) And this election, this victory is for you and for every Virginian who is lying awake right now, not because they're following along with these election returns, but because they're worried about their future for themselves and for families just like mine.

We have big fights ahead of us.

Our commonwealth and our country will continue to be tested.

But tonight, I make this pledge to every single Virginian.

I will never, ever stop fighting for you.

(crowd cheering) I will defend the rights of every single Virginian.

(crowd cheering) I will protect our jobs, our healthcare, and our economy from Donald Trump's attacks.

(crowd cheering) I will take on those big corporations that have controlled our politics for far too long, and lower costs for Virginians once and for all.

And I will always work to keep our families and our communities safe.

And I will always work to protect a woman's right to an abortion here in Virginia.

(crowd cheering) Donald Trump, MAGA, and those corporate special interests believe that Virginia's government should be beholden to them, but tonight, we sent a loud message to them and to every single person across this country, Virginia belongs to the people.

(crowd cheering) Together we stand firm against the people who would take us backward.

We will use tonight as a springboard to reject the politics of divisiveness and division, and we will build a brighter future for every single Virginian.

(crowd cheering) That is our mission, that is our charge.

Thank you so much.

I look forward to the future with every single one of you.

(crowd cheering) I appreciate you.

(crowd cheering) May God bless every single one of you in this commonwealth.

(crowd cheering) Thank you so much.

(crowd cheering) (crowd cheering) (crowd cheering) (upbeat music)