Former Virginia Rep. Leslie Byrne announced another Congressional endorsement Thursday afternoon in her 11th district Democratic primary battle against Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerry Connolly (D).

The support of Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) brings Byrne’s total number of Congressional supporters to nine and — perhaps more importantly — is her second endorsement from a member of the Virginia delegation. She has already been endorsed by Sen. Jim Webb (D).

Like Byrne’s other Congressional supporters — Democratic Reps. Corinne Brown (Fla.), Sam Farr (Calif.), Maurice Hinchey (N.Y.), Marcy Kaptur (Ohio), Carolyn Maloney (N.Y.), Nydia Velázquez (N.Y.) and Lynn Woolsey (Calif.) — Scott is a member of the House’s Out of Iraq Conference.

“In the months leading up to our invasion of Iraq, too many politicians were blind to the dangers of the White House’s plans,” Scott said in an endorsement statement released by Byrne’s campaign. “Leslie Byrne had the vision it took to see the quagmire ahead. That vision and her clear sense of Virginian values allowed her to do great things in her fist term in Congress.”

Byrne served in Congress for one term in the early 1990s and was defeated in her first re-election bid to Rep. Tom Davis (R), who is retiring this year. She later served in the state Senate and was the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in 2005, losing by just a hair.

The latest polling in the 11th district primary, which was released by Byrne’s campaign two weeks ago, had the contest within the margin of error. Both Byrne and Connolly are claiming to have momentum in the final week of this high-profile campaign. The primary will take place on Tuesday.

— John McArdle