Americans’ frustration with the political establishment boiled over Tuesday in the Virginia Seventh District Congressional race. Consummate DC insider and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R) was soundly defeated by a relative unknown Constitutional conservative opponent — Professor Dave Brat, an economics and ethics professor at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia.
With 100% of precincts reporting, Brat garnered 55% of the vote to Cantor’s 45%. Cantor was first elected to Congress in 2000 and quickly moved up the House Republican leadership ranks to become House Majority Leader in 2011.Eric Cantor plans to step down as House majority leader at the end of July after suffering a shocking primary defeat to a Tea Party-backed challenger, Fox News has learned.
Cantor, following his loss to primary rival Dave Brat, is expected to tell colleagues about his plans at a House Republican Conference meeting set for 4 p.m. ET.
Several House members already are jockeying for position, making phone calls and lining up for a potential leadership race. Cantor’s defeat, and decision to step down, touches off a chain reaction of openings that many members are interested in.
Cantor’s loss sent shockwaves throughout the Republican and Democrat establishment and called into question what politics looks like in America in 2014. Cantor had increasingly been seen by his opponents as a supporter of illegal immigration amnesty and had shown arrogance in dealing with his constituents.
Do you think the 2nd Amendment will be destroyed by the Biden Administration?(2)
Political analysts Tuesday evening debated whether immigration reform is dead following the high profile Cantor loss.