Eric Cantor Defeated: House Majority Leader Loses To Tea Party Candidate Dave Brat

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor has been defeated by Dave Brat, a an economics professor and a member of the Tea Party. The defeat in Virginia's primary is a major upset for Cantor the second-most powerful member of the U.S. House who was seen by many as a a possible successor to John Boehner. According to ABC, "his loss to Dave Brat, a political novice with little money marks a huge victory for the tea party movement, which supported Cantor just a few years ago."

Eric Cantor's defeat has been seen as a huge upset and a massive blow for moderate Republicans but a huge victory for the Tea Party. Brat has been hot on Cantor's heels for months: last month, a crowd of his supporters booed the congressman in front of his family at a convention. "There needs to be a change," Joe Mullins, who voted in Chesterfield County Tuesday, told the Associated Press. Acoording to some sources, several blue-collar workers were rejected when they tried to seek a meeting with Cantor.

Most surprising about Brat's victory is his position as a small newcomer. According to Huffington Post, he raised just a bit over $200,000 for his campaign. Meanwhile groups like the American Chemistry Council spent more than $300,000 on TV ads promoting Cantor. A number of other comapnies had a similar expenditure on Cantor's campaign, including the American College of Radiology, the National Rifle Association and the National Association of Realtors.