Reston, Va. (February 25, 2023) - With one day until the Democratic Primary for the 9th District Senate special election, the Mid-Atlantic Region of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) has endorsed Lamont Bagby.

This quickly-scheduled special election is needed to fill former state Senator Jennifer McClellan’s seat after her special election win less than a week ago for the U.S. House.

LIUNA’s reasons for endorsing Bagby include his experience as well as his initiatives focused on working families and inclusion.

Since 2015, Bagby has served as Delegate for the 74th House District. However, he has been a lifelong resident of the area.

“From growing up in Richmond to representing Richmond in the House of Delegates, Lamont Bagby understands what the 9th Senate District needs to better support its residents and has the determination to make it happen,” said Dennis L. Martire, LIUNA Vice President and Mid- Atlantic Regional Manager.

Bagby also shares in LIUNA’s mission to bring working families into the middle class. He supported SB 8 in 2020, which required public works construction contractors and subcontractors to pay workers the prevailing wage. Bagby’s support for SB 8 helped enact prevailing wages in Virginia for the first time in its history and remains the law today. During the 2023 session, Bagby opposed HB 1373 and the Petersburg casino referendum. LIUNA also opposed HB 1373 due to the secrecy surrounding the selection of a developer to build and operate the casino.

As chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, Bagby is committed to ensuring equal opportunities throughout Richmond and Henrico County. LIUNA’s Get Richmond Working initiative supports those efforts by reaching out to Richmond’s minority communities and establishing construction training and job placement opportunities.

“I am confident in the future of Virginia’s 9th Senate District if Lamont Bagby is elected as its next senator,” said Martire. “LIUNA proudly supports him in this special election.”