Henrico Commonwealth's Attorney Taylor endorses Herring

Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor, who last year briefly considered a run for the Democratic nomination to serve as Virginia's attorney general, Sunday night endorsed incumbent Mark Herring for re-election to the seat.

Taylor's exploration of a run came at a time when Herring was expected to seek the party's nomination for governor. When he reversed course and decided to seek a third term as attorney general instead, those plans didn't materialize.

In announcing her support for Herring’s re-election, Taylor cited his ongoing work to protect and expand Virginia’s civil rights, among other topics.

“For two decades, the men serving as Virginia’s Attorney General either ignored civil rights or actively worked to use the law against people in Virginia who didn’t think or look like them," she said in a video endorsement. "Then came Mark Herring, and he transformed the role into a protector of the people, working to expand our freedoms,” says Taylor in the new digital video. “He took on violence, racism, and the big corporations polluting our Bay and flooding our communities with opioids.

“I thought about running for attorney general myself because Mark showed us how the office can be a powerful force for good. And right now the office is in good hands. So when I heard Mark Herring was running again for attorney general, he’s got my vote, and I hope he’ll have yours.”

Herring said he was honored to have Taylor's endorsement.

"It’s an incredible affirmation of the work we’ve done to protect and expand Virginians’ rights and to ensure justice, equality, and opportunity for all,” he said. “Shannon is a trailblazer herself, being the first woman to ever serve as Henrico’s Commonwealth’s Attorney and the first Democrat in generations to win countywide in her key suburban county. She understands how badly Republicans want to reclaim this office and turn it back over to another Cuccinelli-style conservative, and how important it is that we hold onto this seat and keep the progress going.”

Herring is facing Democratic Delegate Jay Jones, who represents the 89th District (Norfolk), in the party's primary this summer.