Stunning tea party win topples House Majority Leader Eric Cantor


It might be the biggest political upset of the year — and it happened in a race almost completely overlooked by national media until Tuesday. (Via Flickr / Gage Skidmore)

LOU DOBBS: "Cantor has been widely expected to win this Republican primary." (Via Fox Business)

​And as late as Tuesday morning, The Washington Post began its story on the primary race with, "A conservative challenger is expected to fall far short."

So, how did Cantor lose? The short answer: the tea party dominates midterm elections. It's an especially strong force in Cantor's district. (Via WTVR)

Cantor is undoubtedly conservative — National Journal ranked him as the 80th most conservative rep in a House of 233 Republicans.

CANTOR: "This law is a disaster. Obamacare is on borrowed time." (Via CBS)

But he's also part of the Republican leadership, which is not terribly popular among grassroots GOP. And he had to battle Tea Party Republicans to end last year's government shutdown. (Via U.S. Congress)

On Tuesday night, a politics writer at The Washington Post called Cantor's loss "a disaster for Obama" and a huge blow to hopes of an immigration compromise. (Via Twitter / @Goldfarb)

Cantor's opponent, Brat, is a college professor who had $40,000 of campaign funds in the bank as of March filings, compared to Cantor's $2 million.