This is interesting. Apparently, the winner, Brat, ran mostly a one issue primary accusing Cantor of being for immigration reform. Although Brat is a non-politician (a professor) and shares many tea party aims, he was not really a tea partier in that he was not taken in by any of the national tea party organizations. This was more of a traditional grass roots affair than success of a tea-party candidate. Crazy, he was outspent more than 25 to 1, and didn't even break $100,000 spent on his campaign. He certainly gained approval of those who vote in republican primaries, we will now see if he has that same appeal in the actual election. The 7th district was one of the gerrymandered districts to pack it republican, and currently sits about 57% republican. The Democrats weren't even likely to run a candidate against Cantor, but now that Brat won, the Dems decided to put up a candidate for the general election in hopes that the ultra conservative and hardline stances against any immigration reform might actually make it possible for a Dem to win the seat. The Dem selected is a non-politician also, in fact, he is a professor from the same college as Brat. Still very likely that Brat does win the general, but this Cantor loss shines a small ray of hope for the Democrats to take the seat. This is a very interesting election for several reasons. One is that Brat is a hard line anti-immigration-reform guy, and in the district that seems to be general agreement among republicans, but nationally a slight majority of republicans is now for reform. Looking into the future and how important the growing Hispanic vote is becoming, the Republican leadership has been trying to move the party into a more inclusive stance. But with a congressman in a leadership position being taken out over this issue, I could see reverberations throughout many republican districts, where future candidates are worried about their own election so they take a stance that goes against what the republican leadership wants to do nationally. And if some tea-party candidates or grass root republicans see this as a template to take out the republican leadership, I could see the entire republican party rethink its new, more inclusive stance on immigration.
Yeah, I wonder if this drives a bigger wedge between Republicans and immigration reform. If so, that will be a big hit to Republicans long term.
