Virginia state Sen. Joe Morrissey is a conservative Democrat who supported significant restrictions on abortion rights. He’s now looking for another job after former state legislator Lashrecse Aird — a “100 percent” pure supporter of abortion rights — defeated the incumbent in Tuesday’s primary.
From the Washington Post:
“Joe Morrissey seems to not respect a woman’s right to choose,” voter Laura Crocker, 34, said outside the Petersburg polling precinct where she voted for Aird.
Morrissey has other problems aside from his lousy position on reproductive freedom. The former prosecutor was twice-disbarred and even won election in 2014 while in a jail cell. He was cited for contempt of court 10 times and indicted but later acquitted on five charges of bribery, perjury, and misuse of public funds. In 2014, while a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, Morrissey was indicted on charges of having sex multiple times with the 17-year-old intern at his law office. He was 56 at the time.
What should make you want to throw up in the nearest sink is the fact that the minor he abused is now his wife, Myrna Morrissey. He resigned his seat when the scandal broke and pleaded guilty to contributing to the delinquency of a minor, but Myrna was already pregnant with the first of their four children. Two years later, they were married and in 2021, she supported his application for a pardon, writing, “Joe and I entered into a relationship which was entirely consensual and at no time did Joe ever manipulate, coerce or in anyway intimidate me into engaging in a relationship.”
Worse, the petition argued that Myrna was exceptionally “mature” for her age. Former Gov. Ralph Northam pardoned this creep, whom Virginia voters somehow elected to the state Senate in 2019.
Five months ago, his wife Myrna Morrissey accused her husband of infidelity, manipulation, and emotional abuse. In an Instagram post, Myrna said, “Marrying Joe was the biggest mistake of my life.” She’s claimed he cheated on her with clients, which is both rude and unethical. She wrote that he solicited nude photos from his employees and gave her an STD. The couple is reportedly finalizing a divorce, which seems for the best.
Morrissey is white and Myrna is Black. This is perhaps most relevant because Morrissey represents a majority-minority district that covered Petersburg and parts of Henrico County.
All this likely explains why almost every Democrat and liberal group in the state backed Aird. This included US Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, as well other lawmakers. Aird had the support of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia and Care In Action, a group that supports domestic workers.
This is an impressive comeback for Aird, who lost her seat in the Virginia House of Delegates during the 2021 Republican rout that sent Glenn Youngkin — a.k.a. sweater vest Ron DeSantis — to the governor’s mansion.
However, Morrissey is a known scumbag, so I don’t think his moral depravity was solely responsible for his loss. No, I believe Aird’s victory reflects a post-Roe landscape where voters now demand that Democrats actively fight for abortion rights.
Last year, Morrissey co-sponsored legislation that would’ve greatly limited abortion access after 20 weeks. The bill failed but Aird rightly hammered him on it.
“When we talk about our reproductive rights, we have someone who’s trying to take away that freedom,” Aird said earlier this week.
Monday, Morrissey didn’t seem worried about the upcoming election. He boasted about his unwavering connection with his constituents.
“I’m the guy who when the 80-year-old woman calls up from Petersburg and says, the neighbor’s dog did … his business in my yard and says, ‘Can you take care of it?’ I’ll take care of it,” Morrissey said. “I take care of my constituents’ concerns. And they have always taken care of me at the polls.”
Morrissey’s constituents voted his creepy ass out of office, but at least he now has more free time to devote to picking up people’s dog crap.
[Washington Post / VPM /Newsweek]
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