Fleming Island divorce lawyer Kenny Leigh enters 4th Circuit State Attorney’s race as write-in

The theater of the State Attorney’s race in the 4th Circuit pivoted toward farce Thursday as “Men Only” divorce lawyer Kenny Leigh of Fleming Island filed as a write-in.

Leigh’s entry closes the Republican primary, restricting it to incumbent Angela Corey and her two challengers, Melissa Nelson and Wes White.

Before Leigh’s entry, only Republican candidates had filed for the race, meaning all registered voters, including Democrats and independents, could have voted in the primary.

White greeted Leigh’s entry into the race with an email salvo saying that Leigh was put up to running by Corey and that it was a “Jimmy Crow” tactic designed to lower the black turnout White expected from an open primary.

“The REAL story tonight is that Jimmy Crow is alive and well, AND still wearing his great grandpa’s blackface,” White wrote.

“Sadly, black votes don’t matter. Today, Angela Corey disenfranchised tens of thousands of voters of color by putting up a write-in candidate for State Attorney and closing the primary. It was the handiwork of Ms. Corey’s political consultant Matt Justice, with the help of his divorce lawyer friend Kenny Leigh,” White added, saying that “it should no longer be acceptable to start a campaign by dividing the white and black communities.”

When asked about White’s charges, Leigh denied it.

“I can’t believe I’ve been turned into a Jim Crow quote,” Leigh said, calling the accusation that Corey put him up to running “ridiculous.”

Corey had, Leigh said, “nothing to do” with his decision to run as a write in. That said, Leigh and Justice are friends. And Leigh has “given [Corey] money in the past” and sees himself as a “big supporter” of the two-term incumbent.

Leigh doesn’t believe he can win. So why is he running?

The decision seems to be rooted in the GOP moving away from tenets of “personal responsibility.”

“The Republican Party I love is killing itself,” Leigh said, saying that he was “pro gay rights” and “wanted to get the dialogue started.”

“I don’t even know any gay people,” Leigh continued, “but it’s killing us.”