HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- Virginia’s 7th Congressional District has a new leader, a victory for Dr. David Brat (R - Virginia) that began with the defeat of seven-term Congressman Eric Cantor in the June primary race. CNN called the race with 48% of districts reporting, and Brat holding the lead with over 26,000 votes.
Though Cantor outspent Brat by nearly 10-1, it became clear by the end of that night in June that dollars don’t vote – people do.
Brat was funded by Tea Party supporters, and his win marked the first time in more than a century that a candidate has triumphed over a majority leader — a victory made even more exceptional because Brat won with only $200,000.
Since then all eyes have been on the Center of the Universe, as Ashland, Va. is known, where two professors squared off to fill the former House Majority Leader's spot. Brat ran against fellow Randolph Macon College professor Dr. Jack Trammell, the Democratic Party nominee who won his primary unanimously. Trammell was voted in mostly for show, because no Democrat wanted to run against the second most powerful Republican in the House.
Both men, thrust into the spotlight after Brat's win, attempted to dodge the newly interested media.
"I need a few days to decompress after that election," Brat told a CNN crew in June when he briefly emerged from his home to get a haircut.
Trammell’s online political presence was initially minimal, but he quickly launched a Facebook page, established a Twitter account, and built a campaign website. He said “his life changed that night,” and recounted the 644 emails on his iPhone that collected within an hour after the Associated Press announced his opponent beat Cantor.
Now 21 weeks later, two debates later, and a combined total of $1,797, 767 raised, Brat has emerged the winner. Brat certainly out raised Trammell, as of Oct. 15, he collected $1,321,638 to Trammel’s $476,129.
If Twitter accounts were any measure of the popular vote, as of 6 p.m. election night, @DaveBratVA7th had over 11,000 followers, while his opponent @Trammell4VA had 1,920. Brat was more active on Twitter though, with 12 times the amount of activity as his opponent.
If Facebook was an indicator, the race would have been a little tighter, with Trammell garnering over 18,000 likes and Brat a total of 16,381.
Though polling often showed Brat ahead, Trammell always said that analysts weren’t considering outside factors, such as the “Warner effect.”
Trammell hoped his secret weapon would be a lift from the support Democratic Senator Mark Warner had in his election statewide.
The 7th Congressional District stretches from Richmond northwest to the Shenandoah. It is comprised of 11 counties total; eight counties in their entirety (Page, Rappahannock, Madison, Culpeper, Orange, Louisa, Hanover, Goochland), and parts of four counties (Spotsylvania, Caroline, Henrico, Chesterfield), along with the west end of Richmond.
The total population, according to a political website, is 643,499, and the median age for its residents is 37. The district is Caucasian by a majority, at 79.1%, with three-quarters of the housing occupied by owners.
The median income household is $50,990, but the per capita income is $25,861.
Republicans have represented the district for the past 43 years, though 101 of its 225 years in existence it had been represented by a Democrat.
Cantor has resided over these counties since 2001, and the last Democrat to represent the 7th District was John Marsh Jr., from 1963-1971.
Brat framed his challenge against Cantor as another case of a grassroots conservative taking on the GOP establishment, a major theme in Republican contests this year. And Brat made immigration reform the central issue and said Cantor’s position would hurt the economy.
“The amnesty issue is the symbolic powerful expression about the difference between Eric and I on jobs,” Brat said in June.
Brat and Trammell could not be further from each other on the big issues. Brat wants to defund Obamacare, while Trammell merely wants to make some adjustments. Trammell wants to raise the minimum wage, Brat does not. As for each candidate’s biggest issue, Trammell touts education reform while Brat wants changes to entitlement programs like Social Security.
The winner will be sworn in this week, and finish Cantor’s vacated seat immediately. The next term begins in January.
