McAuliffe Sets Special Election Date for Cantor's Congressional Seat

Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed a writ of elections Tuesday calling for a Nov. 4 special election to fill Rep. Eric Cantor’s seat in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District.

The election is set to coincide with the Nov. 4 General Election.

Cantor (R-Va.) stepped down as U.S. House Majority Leader Thursday, Aug. 1 and hours later announced he would resign his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Holding a special election Nov. 4 will ensure that the people of the 7th District will be represented as soon as possible during the lame duck session and put Virginia’s congressional delegation in the strongest position possible at the beginning of the next congress, McAuliffe wrote.

“I thank Congressman Cantor for his years of service to Virginia and for his fierce commitment to protecting Virginia’s economic and military assets as majority leader in Congress,” McAuliffe wrote. “Eric Cantor has dedicated his life to public service and I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.”

Cantor’s 14-year congressional run remained unchallenged until Dave Brat, a tea party-backed Henrico County economics professor at Randolph-Macon College defeated the incumbent in a Republican primary June 10.

Come November, Brat will face Democrat Jack Trammel, a Louisa County associate professor who teaches at the same college.

The winner of the special election will be immediately sworn in rather than having to wait until January for the next Congress.

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