44. Delegate Joe Morrissey

We know what you’re thinking. He sued Style Weekly, and now we’re in serious ass-kissing mode. But Delegate Joe Morrissey’s on this list because he damn near gave state Sen. Henry Marsh a heart attack this spring when he considered challenging the civil rights-era lion in the upcoming primary. Morrissey ultimately decided against it, but in the process reminded the local party apparatus and the rest of Richmond that he’s still a force, even after the Virginia State Bar denied his application for reinstatement as a lawyer. He’s unpredictable in that Doug Wilder way, and he can command a room better than any local politician.

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