Former Delegate Joe Morrissey is currently leading in the eight-layer bean dip that is the race for RVA’s new Mayor, no matter who he’s punched in the face or knocked up.
Former Delegate Joe Morrissey is currently leading in the eight-layer bean dip that is the race for RVA’s new Mayor, no matter who he’s punched in the face or knocked up.
A new poll from Christopher Newport’s Wason Center for Public Policy puts the disgraced politician in the lead in three of the city’s nine districts. In order to avoid a run off, a candidate must win the most votes in at least five districts but with so many eggs in this basket, that might be hard to achieve.
Either way, Morrissey leads above the margin of error in the 5th, 6th and 8th districts and just below the margin in the 7th.
Former Venture Richmond head Jack Berry comes in first in “right at the district-level margin of error” in the 1st district.
Here’s some more details from the poll on the rest of the districts:
In the 2nd district, Jack Berry, Joe Morrissey, and Jon Baliles are the top vote-getters. In the 3rd district, Joe Morrissey, Jack Berry, and Levar Stoney are the top vote-getters. In the 4th district, Jack Berry, Jon Baliles, and Levar Stoney are the top vote-getters. In the 9th district, Michelle Mosby, Joe Morrissey, and Bruce Tyler are the top vote-getters.
While districts will decide the actual winner, the broader, city-wide popular vote still offers some great insight into just how these candidates are faring with their campaigns.
Check out the current rundown below:
Morrissey isn’t just kicking ass, he’s smashing it like a… I’ll let you make up the metaphor. But more interesting to see is the failure of folks like former Secretary of the Commonwealth Levar Stoney who had raised $300K by early June, twice as much as Jack Berry and almost 100 times more than anyone else.
As this poll suggests, it really might be a popularity contest this November with the most recognized name rising to the top (no matter why someone has seen the name so much.)
And Morrissey’s name has been even more visible as of late. He’s facing sanctions from the Virginia Bar over what they say is evidence he lied during his criminal trial in connection to sex with a minor (who is now his wife.)
The trial ended in a plea deal, but the Bar could still pull his license… again. Whether or not this new scandal will play a role in this race is yet to be seen, but it sure is easy fodder for opponents looking to paint the man in a negative light.
And unless Stony is spending all that money on wine and cheese events, I’m guessing we haven’t see the full brunt of his war chest just yet, so expect TV commercials or ad buys as we get closer to election day.
You all still watch TV with commercials right?
As for other numbers from the survey, it seems most of you plan to vote (90% said they’d head to the polls this November.) Sadly most of you are only “somewhat closely” paying attention to the mayoral race, but that might be because all we keep hearing about is schools even though less than half of us have kids.
We’re doing our best to ask questions outside the RVA school system – check our interview with Berry and Baliles here and we’ve got an interview with Stoney in the next week.
And just in case you were curious, current Mayor Dwight Jones, all of City Council and the Richmond School Board are all on the city’s shit list.
26% of you approve of Jone’s time in office while 64 % disapprove. 50% think City Council is unworthy, and we bounce back to 64% of you disapproving of the Richmond School Board as they face things like civil rights complaints from the ACLU and NAACP.
Jones’ approval numbers could play a role for current City Council President Mosby as she has been seen a continuation of many of his practices.
Richmond might be getting better for most of us, but it’s gonna get a lot uglier before this race wraps up.
