Editor's Note: on Thursday, state Del. Lamont Bagby dropped out of the race and endorsed state Sen. Jennifer McClellan, amid fears among some Democrats that the two front-runners could split the vote and allow formerly incarcerated state Sen. Joe Morrissey to win with a plurality. Bagby's withdrawal makes McClellan the clear favorite in next Tuesday's "firehouse" primary, and Bagby could conceivably run for McClellan's state senate seat as a consolation prize if McClellan ascends to Congress. Rep. Abigail Spanberger joined Sen. Tim Kaine in endorsing McClellan on Thursday, further solidifying her support.
It's as close to a "warp speed" special election as you'll ever see: on November 28, Democratic Rep. Don McEachin (VA-04) passed away after a long battle with cancer. Barely three weeks later, Democrats are holding a December 20 "firehouse" primary to determine his successor. And whoever wins in a few days will be the prohibitive favorite in the February 21, 2023 special election, considering President Biden carried the seat 67%-31% in 2020. The marginal favorite in the primary sprint is state Sen. Jennifer McClellan, likely the
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