Who Is Dave Brat? And How Did He Beat Majority Leader Eric Cantor?

Dave Brat is a economics professor and a political novice with little money who just beat House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in Virginia’s Republican primary.

The win is a stunning upset and earth-shaking victory for the tea party backed candidate.

Cantor is the second-most powerful member of the U.S. House and was seen by some as a possible successor to the House speaker.

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. source

 

Brat teaches at Randolph-Macon College, a small liberal arts school north of Richmond. He raised just more than $200,000 for his campaign, according to the most recent campaign finance reports.