Virginia Democrats coalesce around McClellan to block insurgent candidate

Virginia Democrats have rallied around State Senator Jennifer McClellan in the race to replace the late Rep. Don McEachin in the state's 4th Congressional District. 

The party is holding a quick firehouse primary next Tuesday to pick the nominee for the February special election and because the district is heavily Democratic, the race will likely pick McEachin’s replacement.

Del. Lamont Bagby had originally planned to run as well, but dropped out and endorsed McClellan after State Senator Joe Morrissey announced his plans to run. Within the last day, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine and the progressive EMILY’s List organization endorsed McCllellan too.

Morrissey is a controversial figure who has had his law license revoked several times and entered into a plea agreement in 2014 for a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor after admitting he had sex with an underage girl. That girl, who was 17 at the time and an employee at his law office, is now his wife. Morrissey’s conviction was eventually pardoned by then-Governor Ralph Northam.

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And, he is a proven vote getter, which can explain part of the attempts to unify around another candidate.

Another dynamic at play is that Morrisey is white, and the 4th District is a majority-minority district. If Morrissey were to win Virginia would only have one member of color in their entire Congressional delegation. McClellan, who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic gubernatorial nomination last year, is Black.