PETERSBURG, Va. — Three years after telling CBS 6 he was done with politics, Joe Morrissey announced he is once again running for office.
"I am both pleased and honored to announce my candidacy for Petersburg City Council representing Ward 5," the controversial figure in Richmond and beyond said in a statement emailed to local media. "Towards this end, I collected 663 signatures and filed all the required paperwork with the City Registrar."
In his statement, Morrissey listed four things he said he'd focus on if elected:
- Fixing the antiquated sewer and water lines, many of which are over 100 years old
- Fixing the water meter fiasco that has been plaguing Petersburg for nearly 20 years
- Restoring Petersburg’s Financial Health and Stability (the city was on the verge of bankruptcy)
- Lowering the property tax rate by $.03.
Morrissey has served in various political positions over the last three decades including Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney in the 1990s and later in the Virginia House of Delegates and the Virginia State Senate. He ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Richmond in 2016.
In 2023, the then state senator lost his Democratic primary election to current Sen. Lashrecse Aird.
"I'm moving on to the next chapter in my life, I want to be a full-time dad and coach all my kids in a myriad of sports and I'm actually really, really looking forward to that," Morrissey said in a phone interview following his 2023 loss. "I cannot see [running for office] ever happening again. You've got to know when to look forward to that next chapter. And I say this with 100% certitude being a full-time dad and a coach to my kids... that's going to become a full-time job for me."
Morrissey's Past
In early 2022, outgoing Virginia Governor Ralph Northam pardoned Morrissey, who was jailed after a sex scandal that involved a 17-year-old receptionist who later became his (now ex-) wife.
The pardon was another rung on the ladder of redemption for Morrissey, a scandal-scarred politician who has been disbarred twice and calls himself “Fighting Joe. ”
The pardon stemmed from a scandal that began when Morrissey was in the House of Delegates nearly eight years ago.
He resigned his seat after being convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, his receptionist at his law firm.
Morrissey won re-election as an independent in a special election a month later.
For the next two months, he spent his days working at the General Assembly. But he served his nights in jail as part of a work-release sentence on the conviction, for which he was later pardoned.
In March 2015, Morrissey resigned his seat in the House to run for the Virginia State Senate but failed to qualify for the Democratic primary ballot.
In 2016, he was the frontrunner in the Richmond mayor’s race until a legal client accused him of making unwanted sexual advances and sending her lewd text messages.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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