WASHINGTON, D.C. (SDJW) — House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, the only Jewish Republican in either the Senate or the House of Representatives, was defeated Tuesday in his bid for an eighth term in a primary election by Dave Brat, affiliated with the “tea party” wing of the Republican party.
Brat, an economics professor at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, had a 25-1 disadvantage compared to the $5 million Cantor had raised and spent, but he nevertheless upended Cantor, who some in Congress had seen as a possible successor to John Boehner as Speaker of the House.
Brat had hammered at Cantor, 51, for supporting a plan to grant legal status to some immigrant children– which he called a form of amnesty. Many observers felt this was the telling issue, despite the fact that Cantor had sent out mailers saying he was opposed to amnesty.
Because he traveled around the country speaking for other Republican candidates, Cantor often was accused of ignoring his district –but this kind of standard-fare criticism had not been expected to resonate with the voters.
In a concession speech, Cantor said “serving as the 7th District Congressman and then having the privilege to be the majority leader has been one of the highest honors of my life and what I have set out to do and the agenda that I have always said we are about is ‘we want to create a Virginia and an America that works for everybody.’
“We need to focus our efforts as conservatives, as Republicans, on putting forth our conservative solutions so they can help solve the problems for so many working class middle class families that may not have the opportunity that we have,” Cantor added. “We can also put our solutions to work for the most vulnerable. I have spent a lot of time on charter schools and educational opportunity to make sure that everyone in America can have access to that American dream starting with a quality education.
“We talked about research a lot in my office and in my campaign and in Congress,” Cantor continued. “I am really proud of the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act because what it says as conservatives is that we don’t believe you ought to spend taxpayer dollars on political conventions, that in fact it is probably better to cure disease because not only do you save lives and help people, you can ultimately solve the federal deficit problem by bringing down health care costs.
“So,” Cantor concluded, “these are the kinds of things that I know we will continue to work on; I know that there are a lot of long faces here tonight; it’s dissappointing, sure, but I believe in this country. I believe there is opportunity around the next corner for all of us. So I look forward to continuing to fight with all of you for the things that we believe in, for the conservative cause, because those solutions of ours are the answers to the problems that so many people are facing today.”
Republican Jewish Coalition Executive Director Matt Brooks had this comment on Cantor’s defeat: “We are disappointed that our friend Eric Cantor lost his primary race tonight, but we are proud of his many, many accomplishments in Congress. He has been a hardworking representative of his district and a trusted leader in the House. Eric’s efforts have been invaluable in passing important legislation on matters of concern to his constituents and the nation. He rose quickly to a top position in the House, having earned the trust and respect of his colleagues. Eric has been an important pro-Israel voice in the House and a leader on security issues, including Iran sanctions. We deeply appreciate his efforts to keep our country secure and to support our allies around the world. The RJC represents the unique viewpoint of the Republican Jewish community and acts as the bridge between the Jewish community and Republican elected officials. We are proud to have worked with Eric Cantor for the last 14 years.”
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Preceding culled from news services