Fightin’ Joe is hanging them up – for now.
Joe Morrissey, a former state delegate and longtime local lawyer, suspended his independent campaign for Rosalyn Dance’s 16th District state Senate seat last week, citing a health issue. Morrissey says that he expects that he will fully recover from the ailment — a paralyzed diaphragm — but he is no longer seeking election, according to a statement released this morning.
“After speaking with all of my health care providers, I have decided to withdraw from the state Senate race and focus on rehabilitating my diaphragm,” the statement says. “For 3 1/2 months, I have enjoyed going door-to-door and meeting with thousands of folks in Central Virginia. However, at this time, my primary concerns are my health and growing family.”
Morrissey, whose checkered career is a thing of Richmond political lore, moved into the 16th District to run for the seat earlier this year. The decision, which cost him his 74th District seat in the House of Delegates, was also perceived as an indication of his interest in entering the city’s 2016 mayoral race.
Reached by phone last week, Morrissey did not rule a run for mayor out.
