The defeat of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a Republican primary in Virginia “could have major implications for an immigration overhaul,” says the New York Times. David Brat, an economics professor with a small campaign account, beat Cantor by an 11-point margin, 56-44. Brat, aligned with the Tea Party, accused Cantor of supporting amnesty for illegal aliens. Advocates of comprehensive reform, including the ag sector, hoped the Republican-run House would act on immigration after the primary election season ended.
“Immigration reform is dead,” wrote a Washington Post analyst. “Anytime an incumbent — and particularly a well-funded incumbent like Cantor — loses there are lots of reasons for the defeat, but this one will be cast as a rebuke of any moderation on immigration.” Reform may be off the table for years, he said.
Cantor was the first majority leader to lose a primary election. His loss was as stunning as the 1994 defeat of House Speaker Tom Foley by a Republican underdog in eastern Washington state.
The Washington Post, in a story last week, said “Cantor, who was in the good graces of Tea Partyers a few years ago, now finds himself a target of the movement” and provided a biographical sketch of Brat. “Brat has accused the House majority leader of being a top cheerleader for ‘amnesty’ for immigrants in the U.S. illegally,” said the Post. “Cantor and House GOP leaders have advocated a step-by-step approach rather than the comprehensive bill backed by the Senate. They’ve made no move to bring legislation to a vote and appear increasingly unlikely to act this year.”