House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) was shockingly defeated in the Republican primary to represent Virginia’s 7th District, the Associated Press reports.
Cantor faced what was considered a long-shot challenge from Dave Brat, a tea party-backed professor who has been a vocal critic of the House’s number two Republican and highest-ranking Jewish member.
Brat had 56 percent of the vote to Cantor’s 44 percent when the Associated Press called the race just after 8 p.m.
Cantor is the second-most powerful member of the U.S. House and was seen by some as a possible successor to the House speaker.
His loss to Dave Brat, a political novice with little money marks a huge victory for the tea party movement, which supported Cantor just a few years ago.
Brat had been a thorn in Cantor’s side on the campaign, casting the congressman as a Washington insider who isn’t conservative enough. Last month, a feisty crowd of Brat supporters booed Cantor in front of his family at a local party convention.
His message apparently scored well with voters in the 7th District.
“There needs to be a change,” said Joe Mullins, who voted in Chesterfield County Tuesday. The engineering company employee said he has friends who tried to arrange town hall meetings with Cantor, who declined their invitations.
Tiffs between the GOP’s establishment and tea party factions have flared in Virginia since tea party favorite Ken Cuccinelli lost last year’s gubernatorial race. Cantor supporters have met with stiff resistance in trying to wrest control of the state party away from tea party enthusiasts, including in the Cantor’s home district.
Brat teaches at Randolph-Macon College, a small liberal arts school north of Richmond. He raised just more than $200,000 for his campaign, according to the most recent campaign finance reports. Prominent national tea party groups did spend independently to help Brat.
Brat offset the the cash disadvantage with endorsements from conservative activists like radio host Laura Ingraham, and with help from local tea party activists angry at Cantor.
(AP)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
11 Responses
Cantor was the only Jewish republican in congress and was one of Israel’s greatest supporters in Washington
Its good to see Democracy still works and “the peoples” votes count (their voices are heard)in Virginia, unlike here in the corrupt New York State where there are NEVER choices and the taxpaying voters are worthless!
Maybe real hope and change. Hopefully this is just the beginning of the changing of the guard.
This is good news as he was a most ineffective thorn in bama’s side.
Many opportunities to do bama in we’re squandered by this phony Virginian politician.
kick out all the lowlife arrogant carrer politicians who r robbing us blind at every opportunity. amazing how “the public servants” earn so much more than the rest of us while accomplishing so much less
Cantor might be back in the futre running for state wide office. Losing to a Tea Party candidate will give him more credibility in winning in a “purple” state The district is sufficiently Republican that it shouldn’t affect who controls the district.
‘and “the peoples” votes count (their voices are heard)in Virginia’
Not really in Virginia either. The Republicans just bribed a Democrat to resign from the Virginia State Senate in order to give the Republicans control of that body in order to help prevent 98,000 Virginians from getting health insurance through Medicaid. We will have to see how this plays out over the next two years.
This is a positive event. Jews should not be in America and those who are stuck there for some unfortunate reason should not be actively involved in the politics of the Goyim.
Cantor was one of the few useful people in congress with his head screwed on straight, he will be missed by all conservative and rational people
#8 – Aryeh Zelasko – Jew should not be in America? Get off your high horse. I never knew there were such foolish Jews until I started reading the comments on YWN. What an eye opener!
Aryeh zelasko
Great point.
I’m surprised ywn let that go through.
Everyone us so against the Israeli state because of how “goyish” the policies (even though the state as a whole is getting more frum as time goes on) but for some reason its a big mitzvah to be involved in the democrats our republicans wisdom
And yes #10 even if you are sotmore you should still feel like you are in golus