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.
