This year’s election is shaping up to be even more competitive than many observers thought, and congressional seats that were considered safe a few years ago are now in play. One Central Virginia congressional district appears to have moved from a safe Republican seat into one of the hottest races this year.
When Eric Cantor was first elected to the 7th Congressional District back in 2000, it was a very safe seat for Republicans. Then he was unseated in a Republican primary that took many by surprise. Now Quentin Kidd at Christopher Newport University says the seat is emerging as one of the most competitive races on the ballot this fall.
“When Dave Brat knocked off Eric Cantor in that surprise primary, I think it unloosened a lot of forces in the seventh district that were mobilized by the election of Donald Trump.”
Kidd says Democrats have a double digit enthusiasm advantage over Republicans in the 7th District. And Mark Rozell at George Mason University says the recent election of a Democrat to a solid red congressional district in Pennsylvania has shifted expectations for what might happen this fall.
“In this election cycle, which many people believe is going to be a blue wave election, that congressional district in particular could become very closely competitive and actually could switch Democratic, which nobody had anticipated coming into this election year.”
Three Democrats are running in the Democratic primary this June to take on Brat in a race that’s sure to attract attention — and money — from across the country.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
