RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Joe Morrissey (D), a former Virginia senator whose political career has been marked by controversy, defeated Howard W. Myers, the 16-year incumbent, for a seat on the Petersburg City Council. On Tuesday, Nov. 3, Petersburg voters headed to the polls to decide between challe nger Morrissey and incumbent Ward 5 representative Myers — five months after Morrissey, also a former mayor of Petersburg, announced his candidacy. As of about 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4, the Associated Press (AP) reports that Morrissey has 62.67% of the vote, leading Myers by just over a 25-point margin. However, the AP has not called this race. Morrissey had largely been absent from politics in recent years after losing his Senate reelection campaign to Sen. Lashrecse Aird (D-Richmond). His departure from the legislature followed a series of controversies, several including allegations of involving violence. During his time as an attorney, he assaulted multiple lawyers at a courthouse and was later disbarred amid accusations of forgery and perjury. The allegations were connected to Morrissey’s relationship with his then-17-year-old assistant Myrna Pride, which led to his conviction on charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He later married Pride and had several children with her before divorcing following allegations of child abuse, infidelity and manipulation. Following his announcement, Morrissey emphasized “what [he] accomplished for the city of Petersburg as a state senator,” including “tearing down the Ramada Inn,” “single-handedly bringing the casino to Petersburg,” and “expanding the footprint of the Petersburg Pharmaceutical Ingredients Campus.” Myers — who served as Petersburg mayor from 2015 to 2017 — has represented Ward 5 since he was first elected to the seat in 2011. This reporting is based on preliminary election results from the AP. All election results are unofficial until certified by Virginia’s State Board of Elections. 8News is Your Local Election Headquarters. To check out more of our reporting on the 2026 General and Special Elections, click here. For more election results, click here. This is a developing story. Stay with 8News for updates. ...read more read less