Lashrecse Aird defeats incumbent Senator Joe Morrissey in Virginia race centered on abortion rights

RICHMOND, Va. - Former state legislator Lashrecse Aird defeated incumbent and self-described "pro-life" Democrat Sen. Joe Morrissey on Tuesday in a closely watched primary election nomination contest in Virginia that centered on abortion rights.

Aird, a former member of the state House of Delegates, ran a campaign heavily focused on Morrissey’s position on abortion. A veteran lawmaker and one of the most controversial figures in Virginia politics, Morrissey has expressed a willingness to vote with Republicans to enact stricter limits on abortion in Virginia sought by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Morrissey was just one of many incumbents facing spirited challenges Tuesday in an election season that’s been upended by redrawn political maps legislative candidates are running in for the first time this year.

In a contentious Republican contest for a southwest Virginia House seat, freshman Del. Wren Williams defeated fellow Del. Marie March. In northern Virginia, former CIA officer Russet Perry secured the Democratic nomination in a Senate seat expected to be a key battleground in the general election. Many other key races had not yet been called.

Aird won her race with the help of an unusual number of legislators and members of the state’s congressional delegation who endorsed her. She also far outspent Morrissey, who ran a scrappy operation with no official campaign manager.

Until this race, Morrissey had time and again overcome personal controversies to win elected office. As he campaigned for office this year, he faced allegations of mistreatment and physical abuse by his decades-younger estranged wife, which he strenuously denied.

Despite those headwinds, many observers were unwilling to count him out because of his long-established reputation as an effective grassroots campaigner who takes care of bread-and-butter issues for constituents. Morrissey conceded to Aird.

Aird, who works in higher education administration, will head into the general election season as the heavy favorite in the blue-leaning district south and east of Richmond.

Dozens of other races took place around the state, including in some swing districts that will help determine the balance of power in the General Assembly in the general election. Virginia, where the Legislature is currently politically divided, is one of the few states that holds its legislative races in odd-numbered years. With its unusual calendar and quasi-swing state status, the state’s results are often closely watched for hints of voter sentiment heading into the following year’s midterm or presidential cycle.

Both parties and both chambers had competitive contests on the ballot, and an unusually high number of sitting officeholders faced serious challenges in an election season upended by new political maps.

This year marks the first cycle in which legislative candidates are running in districts created during the redistricting process that ended in late 2021. The new maps were drawn by outside experts without regard to incumbent protection. That’s contributed to a wave of retirements by many of the General Assembly’s veteran lawmakers and diminished the name-recognition advantage for incumbents, some of whom are running in almost entirely new districts.

The losses by Chase and Morrissey will add to the already lofty turnover.

In another high-profile race, Democrat L. Louise Lucas, a veteran legislator, knocked off another incumbent, fellow Sen. Lionell Spruill. The race in the heavily Democratic Hampton Roads seat was one of only two featuring current officeholders from the same chamber running against one another. It was marked by particularly sharp personal attacks lobbed on social media and in TV ads.

Lucas, who has served in the Senate since 1992, campaigned as a fighter. She donned boxing gloves in some ads, promising to take on Youngkin.

"MOMMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT!" she tweeted.

In a contentious Republican contest for a southwest Virginia House seat, freshman Del. Wren Williams defeated fellow Del. Marie March. In northern Virginia, former CIA officer Russet Perry secured the Democratic nomination in a Senate seat expected to be a key battleground in the general election.

Elsewhere, incumbents easily cruised past challengers. Democratic Sen. Lamont Bagby handily defeated Katie Gooch in a Richmond-area race, and Sen. Dave Marsden defeated Heidi Drauschak, who was backed by the big-spending advocacy group Clean Virginia.

Other competitive contests had not yet been called late Tuesday, including matchups elsewhere in northern Virginia featuring Democratic incumbents facing off against progressive challengers. Sens. George Barker, Jeremy McPike and Chap Petersen were all seen as having some degree of vulnerability.

In a Charlottesville-anchored seat, Sen. Creigh Deeds faced a spirited challenge from Sally Hudson, a member of the House of Delegates since 2020.

Among Republicans, Chase was the only Senate incumbent to face a challenge Tuesday. She campaigned as a champion of gun rights and other conservative values. She also persistently repeated former President Donald Trump’s falsehoods about widespread fraud in the 2020 election.

In the central Virginia Senate nomination contest with Morrissey, Aird won with the help of an unusual number of legislators and members of the state’s congressional delegation who endorsed her. She also far outspent Morrissey, who ran a scrappy operation with no official campaign manager.

A disbarred attorney with a long history of personal and professional controversies, Morrissey had expressed a willingness to vote with Republicans to enact stricter limits on abortion sought by Youngkin.

Several female voters said Tuesday that that was part of the reason they backed Aird.

"I voted for Aird because of her stance on abortion rights and because I think we definitely need a change from Morrissey," said Shannon Craft, of Henrico County.

Until this race, Morrissey had time and again overcome personal controversies to win elected office. As he campaigned for office this year, he faced allegations of mistreatment and physical abuse by his decades-younger estranged wife, which he strenuously denied.

Despite those headwinds, many observers were unwilling to count him out because of his long-established reputation as an effective grassroots campaigner who takes care of bread-and-butter issues for constituents. Morrissey conceded to Aird.

Aird, who works in higher education administration, will head into the general election season as the heavy favorite in the blue leaning district south and east of Richmond.

In a statement, she thanked voters for refusing to "accept the status quo."

"In Richmond, I’ll be a firewall for our reproductive rights in the face of Republican extremists who think they have the right to make decisions about our own bodies," she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.