Eric Cantor resigned from his congressional seat and position as speaker of the house after Dave Brat received the Republican nomination for Virginia’s 7th District congressional seat June 10, 2014. Brat went on to win the midterm election. (Photo: Paul Morigi/Getty Images)
Tuesday, Nov. 4, Dave Brat defeated Jack Trammell in the race for Virginia’s 7th district congressional seat. David Brat was the Tea Party candidate who defeated Eric Cantor, a six-term incumbent Republican and majority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, in the Virginia Republican primary June 10, 2014. Both Dave Brat and Jack Trammell, the Democratic challenger, are professors at Randolf Macon College in Ashland, Va. Randolf Macon is a private liberal arts college with around 1,300 students. At the college, Brat is a professor of Economics and Trammell is a professor of sociology.
Nov. 4th, Virginia had two elections: one for the 114th Congress and another special election to fill the House seat that opened when Eric Cantor resigned in June. Dave Brat won both of these elections. Brat won the regular election with 60 percent to Trammell’s 37 percent. Brat also won the special election with 62 percent to Trammel’s 38 percent.
Trammell, Democrat, ran on the slogan “The Voice for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District.” His campaign was marked by support for access to education, government accountability and healthcare. He supported higher funding for special needs programs and more accessibility for students to colleges with student loan relief. He also argued that more oversight, accountability and transparency are necessary for large government projects. His campaign also addressed the “do nothing Congress,” veterans’ healthcare and womens’ healthcare.
On the other hand, Dave Brat, Republican, ran a platform based on opposing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), protecting Second Amendment rights and limiting the national debt. On Brat’s official campaign website, the ACA is described as “an economically disastrous law and an unconstitutional power grab by our federal government.” Furthermore, Brat describes the second amendment right to bear arms as a “God-given right” that Brat will defend during his congressional term. On the national debt, Brat blames a lack of “lack of leadership” in Washington for the amount of debt the United States has incurred and pledges support to a balanced budget amendment. On other issues, Brat believes that U.S. immigration policy should be securing the border and in favor of term limits.
Brat will serve as the congressman for Virginia’s 7th district for the remainder of the 113th Congress and the 114th Congress that begins January 2015. Eric Cantor, former House majority leader, has accepted a position as the vice chairman of investment bank, Moelis & Company, with a salary of $3.4 million.