defeat: Eric Cantor, the senior and only Jew in the Republican faction in the US Congress, was defeated last night in the party's internal primaries.
Cantor, considered a personal friend of Benjamin Netanyahu, serves as the Republican majority leader in Congress and is considered the second most important person in the House of Representatives. He was defeated in the primary by an unknown opponent, David Bratt, a member of the far-right Tea Party.
This is the first time in about 100 years that a majority leader in the House of Representatives has lost a primary.
Cantor won only 441% of the vote, compared to 561% for David Bratt, an unknown candidate and economics professor. This is the most significant victory yet for the Tea Party movement in the current primary system, which is being held ahead of the midterm elections in early November.
Cantor, a lawyer by profession, was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2000 and has been re-elected six times since. Prior to that, he served nine years as a member of the Virginia General Assembly.
In the current campaign, Kantor invested five million dollars, compared to only 122,000 spent by his opponent.
""I know there are a lot of downcast faces here tonight," Cantor told reporters, "it's definitely disappointing.".
Commentators estimate that the loss may symbolize the end of his political career.
In contrast, Bratt's headquarters celebrated: "Without a doubt, this is the happiest moment of my life, this is a miracle from God." Bratt will run for a seat in Congress against Democratic Representative Jack Trammell, a professor who teaches at the same college in Virginia.
Join the Haredim 10 Facebook page >>
Join the X page of Haredim 10 >>
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
