House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, the U.S. House’s number-two Republican, dropped a primary election bid shocker to a little-known economics professor Tuesday evening.
The Associated Press called the race a little after 8:00 p.m., with Cantor trailing challenger David Brat by 12 percentage points. With 87 of the precincts in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District reporting, Brat led with 56 percent to Cantor’s 44.
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Brat teaches at Randolph-Macon College, a small liberal arts school north of Richmond, and relied on tea party support to help buoy his campaign.
His win sets up a general election matchup with Democrat Jack Trammel — a fellow professor at Randolph-Macon.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
