Virginia voters on Tuesday returned a state lawmaker to the General Assembly after he had stepped down in the wake of a sex scandal involving a teenage employee.

Fox News reports Joseph Morrissey, a former Democrat-turned-Independent who represents the Richmond area in the commonwealth's House of Delegates, beat his two opponents in a special election held on the same day his resignation became effective.

Morrissey celebrated his victory in jail, where he spends his nights because of a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The 57-year-old entered a guilty plea to avoid a possible felony conviction, though he maintains his innocence in the case surrounding his relationship with a 17-year-old receptionist at his law office.

The lawmaker defeated Democrat Kevin Sullivan and Republican Matt Walton, winning 42 percent against Sullivan's 33 percent and Walton's 24 percent, according to the Washington Post.

Morrissey may have a tough time reassuming his legislative duties, however, as both Republican and Democratic leaders in the General Assembly were considering to expel or censure him as early as Wednesday, when the legislature convenes in Richmond for a six-week session.

"Mr. Morrissey's election tonight does not change the fact that his actions fall grievously short of the standards of a public servant in the House of Delegates," House of Delegates Speaker William J. Howell, a Republican, said in a statement. "There are a number of options available to the body to address questions of conduct regarding its members."

Democratic leaders David Toscano and Scott Surovell, meanwhile, underlined that Morrissey was no longer a member of their party.

"His conviction and actions over the past two months were reprehensible, and we will be exploring every avenue in regard to his status as a member of the House of Delegates," they said in a joint statement.

Morrissey's victory comes after voters overlooked his "flamboyant history of fistfights, contempt-of-court citations and disbarment," Fox News reports. In an editorial, the Washington Post called the lawmaker a "human train wreck that Virginia voters support -- and deserve."

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