Morrissey, Aird spar over casino. She says she supports it; he claims she does not
PETERSBURG – He says she will hand over the casino to Richmond “on a silver platter.” She says he is “desperate” to say anything to hang on to his office.
That sums up the latest volley in the battle for the 13th Senate District Democratic primary between incumbent Joe Morrissey and challenger Lashrecse Aird.
On Monday, Morrissey brought out what many consider his “signature issue” in the race – the push for a casino in Petersburg. In an emailed statement, Morrissey accused Aird of selling out to Alfred Liggans and Cathy Hughes of media group Urban One in exchange for endorsements and financial support in her campaign to unseat him. He likened that to the biblical account of Judas Iscariot receiving 30 pieces of silver for betraying Jesus Christ to the Romans.
“It is without a doubt that Lashrecse Aird has sold out the city of Petersburg for the proverbial 30 silver coins in order to get the endorsement, support and money of Richmond casino developers Cathy Hughes and Alfred Liggins,” Morrissey said. “Everyone knows that if Aird were successful in being the 13th Senate Democratic nominee, she would abandon the fight to deliver the casino to Petersburg and hand it on a silver platter to Richmond.”
Aird responded, calling his claims “laughable” and adding that the casino issue, which hinges on whether proposed budget language is accepted whenever the General Assembly acts on it, an example of Morrissey’s “failure on the most important job of being a state senator — legislating."
Aird said she supports a casino in Petersburg, but she has questions about specifics on the proposed Cordish Companies’ $1.4 billion project now in limbo. Petersburg’s last two legislative attempts to get a casino referendum died in the Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee, but Morrissey is trying to get language in the upcoming Assembly budget bill to block Richmond from voting on the casino this November. As of today, that budget has not been approved, leading some to believe that any vote now would not happen until after the June 20 primary.
“There was no opportunity for a casino license during my time in office. There have been two during his time in office,” Aird said. “He not only supported a Richmond casino initially but then when the clearest opportunity to secure a casino for Petersburg existed, he failed. Joe Morrissey failed because he was willing to compromise on the most important aspect of securing a casino – jobs for workers, good, high-paying jobs for workers that would largely affect Petersburg workers – as part of his deal with Cordish.”
Morrissey, however, claimed that both Aird – Petersburg's delegate from 2016-22 – and his predecessor, former Sen. Rosalyn Dance, had opportunities to pull Petersburg into consideration when the General Assembly considered five locations for casinos. According to Morrissey, Aird was “asleep at the switch.”
Then when the focus of the fifth casino location shifted to Petersburg, Morrissey claimed Aird “did not lift a single finger” to generate support, instead pushing against Petersburg getting the casino license. That, he added, was due to the promise of media group Urban One, who was pushing for a $565 million casino and hotel in south Richmond, to support her for the bid.
“Shame on her,” Morrissey said.
According to the most recent campaign finance reports that ended March 31, there was no evidence of either Urban One CEO Alfred Liggins or his mother, Urban One founder Cathy Hughes, donating any money to Aird’s campaign. Their names also have not been included in any lists of Aird endorsements.
Aird said Morrissey is harping on the casino issue to divert attention from his stance on women’s reproductive rights, a cornerstone of Aird’s campaign.
“Desperate people say desperate things,” Aird said. “Joe will say and do anything to take attention from the fact that he is the only anti-choice Democrat in the entire Senate and out of step with the people of this district on that issue.”
Aird called the Morrissey attack “baseless” and added she does not plan to respond to any more of those attacks in the next two weeks leading up to the June 20 primary.
There is no love lost between Morrissey and Urban One over the casino.
The day after Richmond voters defeated the referendum for the $565 million One Casino & Hotel resort, Morrissey – who as a Richmond state senator backed the city’s bid – joined Petersburg officials in trying to woo Liggans and other developers into considering Petersburg as central Virginia’s casino home. Morrissey asserted that Liggans said he would consider Petersburg in exchange for preferential treatment in securing the bid. When Petersburg refused, Morrissey said Liggans and his mother Hughes went back to supporting Richmond’s bid for another crack at voting on the casino.
Liggans would not directly answer Morrissey’s claim in an interview with The Progress-Index last year.
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A battle from the start
The 13th Senate District Democratic primary battle has been contentious from the word “go.”
Aird came out swinging against Morrissey for his stance on women’s reproductive rights. Morrissey says his Catholic faith means he personally opposes abortion, but he claims to support the abortion decision as a personal matter between a woman and her doctor. Aird’s allies claim that stand puts Morrissey clearly in the Republican camp that wants to ban abortions in Virginia after 15 weeks into the pregnancy.
Her campaign also has questioned Morrissey’s morals. During his career, Morrissey has generated controversy on everything, from his jailing on a charge of having sexual relations with an underage girl – a former law office aide who he later married and is now divorcing – to physical altercations with fellow lawyers and even a constituent in the office of a member of the House of Delegates. He has unsuccessfully sought to have his law license reinstated in Virginia.
Morrissey has accused Aird of lying about his legislative record and his past. He has focused his campaign on what he says are promises fulfilled during his first term, such as removal of the blighted former Ramada Inn on Interstate 95 in Petersburg, and constituent and Petersburg access to him. He claimed the latter was an issue because when Aird was in the House of Delegates, she rarely was seen in public for non-political reasons.
The race also has been a battle of endorsements.
Aird has been endorsed by a large swath of Virginia Democratic leaders, including the six women who now serve with Morrissey in the Senate. Morrissey, meanwhile, claims support from five of the seven members of Petersburg City Council, including Mayor Sam Parham, a close ally in the casino battle.
The endorsements became a bigger issue after a Morrissey flier claimed the support of Ward 1 Councilor Marlow Jones. Jones later took to social media to say he was backing Aird instead of Morrissey. Ward 6 councilor Annette Smith-Lee, who was not mentioned in the mailing, also is reportedly supporting Aird.
The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican Eric Ditri in the November election.
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Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on Twitter at @BAtkinson_PI.
This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Morrissey says Aird not supportive of Petersburg casino; she says she is
