Virginia Democrats Jennifer McClellan and Joe Morrissey will face off in the primary for a vacant seat in the US House of Representatives.



CNN

Virginia Democrats To Pick Nominee Tuesday special elections to fill the deadline late rep. Donald McEachinwho died in November just weeks after being re-elected.

Democrats in the 4th congressional district are holding “firehouse primaries” — or those run by a party organization rather than election officials — at several temporary voting locations in the Richmond area.

The candidate will enter the February general election as the favorite in a constituency that was solidly Democratic, and the outcome of the election is unlikely to affect the balance of power in the US House of Representatives, which the Republicans should control in January.

Virginia state senator. Jennifer McClellan, who came in third in the 2021 gubernatorial primaries, has the backing of Democratic Party leaders and groups ranging from the political arm of the Congressional Progressive Caucus to the pro-Israel moderate Democratic Majority PAC. If elected, she would become the first black woman to represent Virginia in Congress.

Virginia St. Tim Kaine campaigned with McClellan, a close ally whose wedding he officiated, over the weekend, and members of the Commonwealth Democratic congressional delegation supported it, as did Richmond Mayor LeVar Stoney and other local officials. Democrats won’t recognize their candidate until Wednesday, when the ballot count begins.

Rallying around McClellan was partly influenced by the campaign the scandal-ridden state of Saint. Joe Morrissey. His feud with the party establishment may be part of his appeal among some disillusioned supporters, but his critics point to a more damaging history, including his resignation from the state House of Representatives in 2014 after a misdemeanor conviction for complicity in the delinquency of a minor. A 17-year-old part-time employee of his law office with whom he had sex and exchanged nude photos. He was in his 50s at the time, but he claimed, according to local reportthat, in his opinion, the woman was 18 years old. (Morrissey has since married a woman and they have several children.) Morrissey has also been stripped of his legal license – twice – and remains disbarred following a 2019 decision by the state Supreme Court to revoke him.

Morrissey criticized the state party for holding the primary on Tuesday instead of Saturday, saying it would limit voter turnout. In announcing his run, Morrissey referred to himself as a “worker bee” while highlighting his work for criminal justice reform.

There is no party registration in Virginia, so the primary will be open to all voters in the county, provided they sign a pledge to support the Democratic nominee in the general election. The Republicans chose their nominee Leon Benjamin in a weekend vote.

Benjamin has already run for the seat, losing to McEachin earlier this year and into 2020.

Under Virginia law, there are no state primary elections for these special elections, so parties are responsible for selecting their own candidates.

The chair of the county’s Democratic committee supported the “firehouse” method of voting as a way to increase participation in the process.

“Firehouse primaries allow as many candidates and voters as possible to participate in the democratic process,” said Alexis Rogers. “The Congressional Democratic District Fourth Committee is committed to a smooth, transparent, and expeditious nominee selection process.”

Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin last Monday set a special election date for Feb. 21, in a swift turnaround as parties need to formally select their candidates by Dec. 23.

Just a week before the election campaign, a slew of Democrats entered the race. McClellan and Morrissey are the leading contenders, mainly because Del. Lamont Bagby decided to drop out to help clear the way for McClellan, a fellow leader of the Virginia Black Legislature. Bagby’s support largely shifted to McClellan.

McClellan, who has served in the state legislature since 2006 and succeeded McEachin in the state Senate, spoke about her legislative experience and her time in the Capitol with the late congresswoman in a speech last week.

“This is a bittersweet day for me as I continue to mourn a friend but hear the call to continue his legacy and lead his servant to Washington,” McClellan said.

Virginia Democrats lost the governorship and the House of Delegates in 2021 and control only a very thin majority in the state Senate. If McClellan wins a special congressional election in February, her vacant Senate seat could weaken Democrats’ ability to block Republican bills – like potential restrictions on abortion.