EARTHQUAKE: Eric Cantor Loses Primary to Unheralded, Under-funded Tea Party Challenger

Guy Benson | June 10, 2014 8:01 PM

I've seen enough, it's over. Sitting Majority Leader of the House, Rep. Eric Cantor (R), has lost his primary to Prof. Dave Brat (R) #VA07
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) June 10, 2014

Wasserman calls it the "biggest House upset" he's ever seen. Elections expert Sean Trende pronounces himself speechless. Team Cantor is likely as stunned as anyone else:

no they did not RT @deirdrewalshcnn: Cantor aides did not appear to be sweating this primary challenge at all earlier today
— Kate Nocera (@KateNocera) June 10, 2014

One recent poll showed a potential tightening of the race, but with Cantor still ahead by double digits. And yet...the sitting House Majority Leader got blown out in a race everyone expected him to win comfortably. Incidentally, it's not as if he totally ignored his primary race either:

Cantor outspent Brat $993k to $76k in last seven weeks. Not a typo. #VA07
— Daily Kos Elections (@DKElections) June 10, 2014

The immediate lesson?

Agreed RT @jonbabad: @chucktodd This result officially ends any chance of Immigration Reform anytime soon.”
— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) June 10, 2014

Here's why:

Brat has exposed discontent with Cantor in the solidly Republican, suburban Richmond 7th Congressional District by attacking the lawmaker on his votes to raise the debt ceiling and end the government shutdown, as well as his support for some immigration reforms. At a May meeting of Republican activists in the district, Cantor was booed, and an ally he campaigned for was ousted as the local party chairman in favor of a tea party favorite.