Aird unseats Morrissey in Virginia Senate race.

Former state legislator Lashrecse Aird defeated incumbent and self-described “pro-life” Democrat Sen. Joe Morrissey in a closely watched primary election nomination contest in Virginia that centered on abortion rights. Aird ran a campaign heavily focused on Morrissey’s position on abortion. Morrissey has expressed a willingness to vote with Republicans to enact stricter limits on abortion in Virginia sought by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. This year marks the first cycle in which legislative candidates are running in districts created during the redistricting process that ended in late 2021.