Posted on 06/10/2014 6:30:13 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) conceded Tuesday night that “obviously, we came up short” in fending off the Tea Party challenge from economics professor Dave Brat.
With 98 percent of precincts reporting, Brat had 55.6 percent to Cantor’s 44.4 percent.
“I know there’s a lot of long faces here tonight and it’s disappointing, sure,” Cantor said. “But I believe in this country, I believe there’s opportunity around the next corner for all of us.”
“So I look forward to continue 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.”
While Cantor’s loss unfolded and the majority leader gave his concession speech, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Va.) delivered a marathon speech against immigration reform on the House floor.
The remainder of the Hill was largely quiet, with no comments from other House leaders.
The possibility remained, though, that Cantor could attempt the same move that let Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) to keep her seat.
In 2010, conservative Tea Party favorite Joe Miller, backed by Sarah Palin, knocked Murkowski out in the primary. After failing to find any other route to ballot access, Murkowski launched a write-in campaign and defeated Miller — becoming the first senator in more than five decades to win her seat via write-ins.
Murkowski’s long-shot campaign gave her a lead of more than 10,000 votes over Miller. She was declared the winner after Miller’s legal challenge was dismissed in late December of that year.
There is no Democratic candidate in Cantor’s district, though the open primary system meant that Democrats were able to cast ballots for Cantor or Brat.
Under Virginia’s “sore loser” law, his name could not be printed on the general election ballot, but that wouldn’t stop him from a write-in campaign.
“He’s got to make that decision. Eric is a very smart guy… he’s got to decide what’s his future,” former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) told CNN. “If he wants to take a gamble on a write-in campaign… he’s got to be careful not to look like a spoilsport.”
“I would be a little skeptical given the size and the margin” of Cantor’s defeat, Gingrich said, adding that he thinks every Tea Party group would “pile on” the majority leader in that campaign.
Life after an upset has played out well for some.
Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) was defeated in the 2012 primary by Tea Party challenger Richard Mourdock, who would eventually lose to Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.).
Lugar then created a nonprofit, The Lugar Center, to focus on the foreign policy and nonproliferation issues that marked his decades in office.
The ousted senator was then knighted by the British Empire and also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom last year.
Yes, but he’ll do it to derail Brat.
Apparently there’s some sort of ‘sore loser’ rule preventing him from doing so, at least according to USATODAY
Ah, so he just can’t run as an independent.
Will brat beat the dem?
Are you competing for buzzkill of the year or what?
Virginia has a ‘sore loser’ law that prevents it. Cantor’s political career is over.
Yes, he will. his goals are aligned with the RATS and they will make him an offer he can’t refuse to derail Brat and give them the seat. Count on it.
Sore loser rules don’t apply to write-ins. They apply to names printed on a ballot, presumably as an independent or third party.
Yep. Hopefully the district is smarter than that
If Cantor runs as a write in, every Tea Party candidate who lost should run
as a write in, as well. It works both ways.
No, by that time he’ll have landed a cushy job paying 4X what he made in the House, and all this will be in his rear-view mirror. He can always run for Senate or Gov., since he’s so smart and all.
I hope so
cantor - and i will run as a write-in to split brat’s vote so the democrat wins and the tea party loses.
So you don’t want to know what’s happening?
“I believe there’s opportunity around the next corner for all of us.”
Speaking to his supporters (dependents) he is.
Fucking leaches.
Be gone.
There is no Democratic candidate in Cantor’s district, though the open primary system meant that Democrats were able to cast ballots for Cantor or Brat.
Seems like it would have to be a write-in attempt only as there is no Democratic candidate on the ballot for the fall election.
They (the RINOs here in KS) always tell us to climb on board with their candidate - "We don't want the DemocRAT to win, do we," but when we actually have the temerity to primary them, then win, they take their marbles and play elsewhere!
There were always one, possibly two words that were like a cross to Dracula, "pro-life and/or traditional marriage," they always claim to be "fiscal conservatives" yet vote like Teddy Kennedy!
RINOs never met a tax increase they can't vote for - just a bit less than liberal DemocRATS want!
That is just one reason that conservatives jumped off the George W Bush train, budget and government grew bigger than it did in the Clinton Administration, then he tries to shove Amnesty down our throats in '07 and couldn't pull it off. RINOs are more concerned with the promises $$$ from the Chamber's of Commerce and the Nat'l Assn. of Manufacturer's than they are with their own voters!!!
Cantor did not pledge his support for Brat in the general election. Conceding defeat in the primary without pledging support for your party’s nominee is the weasel’s way out.
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