Marty Jewell, a former Richmond City Council member and past president of the Richmond Crusade for Voters, said Morrissey has earned his support through years of work as both a politician and a lawyer.

Morrissey was elected as the city’s commonwealth’s attorney in 1989. More recently in the General Assembly, he distinguished himself through a focus on constituent services, Jewell said.

“Joe Morrissey has spoken up on black issues when so many others haven’t opened their mouths,” he said. “He does pro-bono work for low-income people on a regular basis where black lawyers can’t be found.

“He’s spoken out on various issues with regard to payday lending, he’s spoken out about the failure to address economic inclusion for black businesses, he has spoken out on the excesses of law enforcement. All the way down the line, Joe has publicly addressed these issues.”

Jewell said Morrissey’s indiscretions over the years — last year, he served jail time while serving in the House of Delegates after he pleaded guilty to contributing to the delinquency of a minor — aren’t seen as severe enough to overcome that work.