Dave Brat

Last updated

Laura Sonderman
​
(m. 1996)​
Dave Brat
Dave Brat official congressional photo.jpg
Member of the U.S.HouseofRepresentatives
from Virginia's 7th district
In office
November 12, 2014 –January 3, 2019
Children2
Education Hope College (BA)
Princeton Theological Seminary (MDiv)
American University (PhD)

David Alan Brat (born July 27, 1964) is an American academic and former politician. A member of the Republican Party, Brat served as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 7th congressional district from 2014 to 2019.

Contents

Brat came to national prominence when he defeated the U.S. House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor, in the 2014 Republican primary in Virginia's 7th congressional district. His primary victory, which he achieved with the support of the Tea Party movement, made Brat the first primary challenger to oust a sitting House Majority Leader since the position's creation in 1899. [1] Brat went on to win the 2014 general election and was re-elected to Congress in 2016. During his congressional tenure, Brat was known as a conservative Republican and a member of the Freedom Caucus. He was defeated by Democrat Abigail Spanberger in the 2018 election.

In January 2019, Brat was named dean of the Liberty University School of Business.

Early life and education

David Alan Brat was born in Detroit, Michigan, [2] on July 27, 1964. [3] [4] His father, Paul, was a doctor of internal medicine; his mother, Nancy, was employed as a social worker in Alma, Michigan, where he was raised. [5] [6] [7] His family moved from Alma to Minnesota when David, the oldest of three boys, was in junior high. [5] Brat graduated from Park Center Senior High School in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. [5]

Brat earned a B.A. in business administration from Hope College in 1986, a master's degree in divinity (M.Div.) from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1990 and a Ph.D. in economics from American University in 1995. [8] [9] [10]

Academic career

After working for Arthur Andersen and as a consultant for the World Bank, [11] Brat joined the faculty of Randolph–Macon College in 1996 [9] as an economics professor. [12] For six years, Brat chaired the College's department of ethics and business. [9] At Randolph-Macon, Brat taught courses including "Britain in the International Economy", "International Economic Development", and "Business Ethics". [13]

From 2010 to 2012, Brat headed Randolph-Macon's BB&T Moral Foundations of Capitalism program. Endowed by the BB&T Corporation, the program was one of 60 similar programs devoted to the study of capitalism and morality in philosophy and economics departments at U.S. universities. [14] [15] [16] [17]

In 2006, Brat was appointed by Virginia governor Tim Kaine to the Governor's Advisory Board of Economists. He has also served on the board of directors of the Richmond Metropolitan Authority, and on the advisory board of the Virginia Public Access Project. [17] [ better source needed ]

In January 2019, following his defeat in the 2018 congressional election, Brat was named dean of the Liberty University School of Business. [18] In May 2023, Brat became Vice Provost for Engagement and Public Relations at Liberty. [19]

Scholarship and ideas

Brat has asserted that culture matters in economic markets. He believes that the culture that produced Adam Smith was a Protestant culture, and that the ethics of that culture are important in understanding market efficiency. [20] [21] Brat has advocated that Christians should forcefully support free-market capitalism and behave altruistically, in the manner of Jesus, so that "we would not need the government to backstop every action we take". [22]

According to Kevin Roose in a New York Magazine article, Brat "sees free-market economics as being intricately linked to ethics and faith", and he makes the case that Adam Smith's "'invisible hand' theory should be properly seen in the context of Christian moral philosophy". [23] Furthering the central theme of Max Weber's seminal book The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Brat argues in his 2004 paper Economic Growth and Institutions: The Rise and Fall of the Protestant Ethic? that "institutions such as religion, democracy and government anti-diversion policies all significantly enhance a country's long-run economic performance", and concludes that "the religion variable may be the strongest ex ante, exogenous institutional variable in the literature". [24]

In a paper entitled Is Growth Exogenous? Taking Bernanke Seriously, Brat criticized Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke. Brat asserted that Bernanke's work on economic growth overlooks the role of religious institutions—especially Protestant religious institutions—in a country's economic growth. Brat added that while savings rates, population growth, and human capital accumulation help drive economic growth, the larger factor is "the Protestant religious establishment", which Bernanke ignores. [25]

Brat has blamed the rise of Adolf Hitler in Germany on the lack of "unified resistance", adding, "I have the sinking feeling that it could all happen again, quite easily". [22] Brat believes that countries with Protestant histories have economic advantages over countries that do not have such histories, and that Protestantism "provides an efficient set of property rights and encourages a modern set of economic incentives" that often lead to "positive economic performance". [23] He believes in Christ as a transformer of culture, and that world transformation can be achieved when capitalism and Christianity merge. Brat reasons that if people follow the Christian gospel and, as a consequence, behave morally, markets will improve. [26]

Early political career

Beginning in 2015, Brat volunteered [27] as a special legislative assistant to Virginia state senator Walter Stosch, [28] working on education issues. [29]

2011 Virginia House of Delegates campaign

In August 2011, Brat announced his candidacy for the Virginia House of Delegates seat for the 56th district. There was no primary, and six Republican leaders met and chose Peter Farrell as the Republican nominee for the November 2011 general election. [30] [ better source needed ]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2014

Republican primary

Dave Brat speaking at an event in February 2016. Dave Brat by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Dave Brat speaking at an event in February 2016.

In 2014, Brat challenged House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a Republican primary. Brat's campaign was notable for its lack of resources and traditional campaign tactics. Brat was outspent by Cantor 40 to 1; Cantor spent over $5 million, while Brat raised $200,000 and did not spend all of it. [31] [32] Brat's primary campaign was managed by 23-year-old Zachary Werrell. [33] An analysis of campaign filings conducted by OpenSecrets concluded that Brat did not receive any donations from political action committees (PACs); the analysis noted that it was "almost impossible to profile Brat's typical donor, because he had so few". [34] On June 10, 2014, Brat defeated Cantor, 55.5%-44.5%. [35]

Brat's primary victory garnered national attention, [36] [37] [38] as it was the first time a sitting House Majority Leader was defeated in his primary race since the position was created in 1899. [39] [40] [41] The victory was regarded as a historic upset. [42] [43] [44] Brat's victory was described in the press as exposing a "deep schism" in the Republican Party between its conservative base and its business wing, as well as a split between establishment Republicans and Tea Party insurgents. [45] [46] [47]

Radio talk show host Laura Ingraham endorsed Brat's candidacy and hosted a rally with him in a Richmond suburb. [41] Brat was also supported by radio talk show host Mark Levin [48] and Ann Coulter. [49] Brat received support from, and gave credit for his win to, local Tea Party groups in Virginia, but received no funding or endorsement from national Tea Party organizations. [36] As of June 2014, however, Brat had not identified with the Tea Party movement. [50] Ron Rapoport, a political scientist at the College of William & Mary, has said Brat may be correctly identified as a "tea partier" only if the term is used as a catchall for "anti-establishment activist", while John Judis has opined that Brat could more correctly be described as a "right-wing populist". [51] Matea Gold in The Washington Post stated, "the fact that Brat took off without the help of those organizations [national tea party groups] now makes it harder for them to claim his victory as their own." [52] Some libertarian groups, such as the Virginia Liberty Party, backed Brat. [53]

Compared with Cantor, who was described as aloof, Brat was characterized as knowing how to work a crowd. [54] He ran an anti-establishment campaign criticizing Cantor's position on illegal immigration, [55] government bailouts and budget deals while frequently invoking God and the United States Constitution in his speeches. During the campaign, Cantor criticized Brat as a "liberal professor" who had strong ties to Tim Kaine, Virginia's former Democratic governor and current junior Senator. [56] Brat complained that Cantor had a "crony-capitalist mentality", putting the interests of the corporate sector ahead of small businesses. [57] Chris Peace, a state legislator who collaborated with Brat on state budget issues at Randolph-Macon College, said that Brat was inspired to run for Congress because of "his passion for the structure of government and belief in free markets." [44]

Although the national media were shocked at Brat's victory, Richmond-area media outlets had received signs well before the primary that Cantor was in trouble. [58] The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported two weeks before the primary that a number of Cantor's constituents felt he took them for granted. The Times-Dispatch also revealed that Cantor's attempt to brand Brat as a liberal professor actually made more people turn out for Brat. [59] The Chesterfield Observer, a local paper serving Chesterfield County—roughly half of which is in the 7th—reported that Tea Party-aligned candidates had won several victories there, and at least one Cantor loyalist believed Tea Party supporters smelled "blood in the water." [60] One local reporter told David Carr of The New York Times that many constituents believed Cantor was arrogant and unapproachable. Due to massive cutbacks, the race was severely underpolled by local media. Few Capitol Hill reporters were willing to go to Cantor's district for fear that they would be out of Washington if a major story broke. [58]

General election

Brat faced Democratic nominee Jack Trammell, another professor at Randolph-Macon, and James Carr, a Libertarian candidate, in the November general election. [61] Brat was favored to prevail because of the district's significant Republican enrollment advantage (the district had a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+10, showing it to be the most Republican district in eastern Virginia). [62]

Cantor announced plans to aid Brat by resigning from the United States Congress on August 18 so that a special election for the balance of Cantor's seventh term could be held on the same day as the general election for a full two-year term. Because of Cantor's move, the winner of the November election would take office with two months' more seniority than other first-term Republicans elected in the 2014 midterm elections. Furthermore, the winner would be able to participate in the 2014 lame-duck session of Congress. [63]

Brat prevailed in the November 4 special election, winning 60.83% of the vote to Trammell's 36.95%. [64] [35]

2016

A court-ordered redistricting significantly changed the configuration of the 7th district. It lost its share of the city of Richmond to the neighboring 4th District; the 7th district and its predecessors had included all or part of Richmond for over a century (it had been numbered as the 3rd District before 1993). The district also lost Hanover County to the 1st District.[ citation needed ]

Brat defeated Democrat Eileen Bedell, 57.5%-42.2%, in the general election on November 8, 2016. [65]

2018

Brat ran for a third term in 2018 against Henrico native and former CIA officer Abigail Spanberger. The race was rated "Safe Republican" by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report until October 13, 2017, when Cook updated the rating to "Likely Republican." On February 8, 2018, the rating was changed to "Leans Republican," and on July 7, 2018, the race was rated a "Toss-up." [66]

During an October 2018 debate, Brat characterized Spanberger as a disciple of Nancy Pelosi. Brat referred to Pelosi 25 times, according to The Washington Post, drawing laughs from the audience and the widely reported rejoinder, "Abigail Spanberger is my name." [67] [68]

Brat ultimately lost to Spanberger, 48.4% to 50.3%, [69] due in part to a large swing in the district's shares of Henrico and Chesterfield counties, traditional Republican strongholds. [70] [ failed verification ] While Brat carried five of the district's seven counties, Spanberger defeated him in Henrico and Chesterfield by a combined 30,600 votes, five times the overall margin of 6,600 votes. [71]

Brat with Donald Trump and supporters in 2015 Dave Brat and Donald Trump Event (17196336150).jpg
Brat with Donald Trump and supporters in 2015

Tenure

Brat was sworn in on November 12, 2014, to finish Cantor's term. [72] He was a member of the Freedom Caucus. [73] [74]

On January 6, 2015, Brat was one of 25 House Republicans to vote against John Boehner's reelection as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Boehner, who needed at least 205 votes, was reelected with 216 votes. [75] Though Brat supported Boehner earlier, he reversed his support after the House GOP leadership did not allow him to make an amendment to block a controversial executive order signed by President Barack Obama in a spending bill. [76]

Brat faced heckling by 150 people at a "raucous" town hall meeting in the small town of Blackstone, Virginia, on February 21, 2017. Some questioned him on the border wall, health care, and President Trump's policies. [77] Several of Brat's supporters left the meeting early. [77] He was criticized for not meeting with his constituents because he claimed there were paid protesters among them. On January 28, at a meeting held at Hanover Tavern with "the GOP-friendly audience", he had lamented that, "[s]ince Obamacare and these issues have come up, the women are in my grill no matter where I go. They come up — 'When is your next town hall?' And believe me, it’s not to give positive input." [78] He also urged his fellow conservatives at the Tavern to write newspaper articles because "we’re getting hammered." [79] Brat considered running in Virginia's 2018 Senate election. [80]

In November 2017, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that a campaign staffer was using her personal Facebook profile to debate people who commented negatively on his Facebook posts. [81] The woman did not identify herself as a paid campaign staffer. [81] When asked about this, Brat said, "Her job is to clarify issues and put out my policy positions from my vantage point. It’s not to argue with people." [81] Brat had another run-in with social media on March 1, 2018, when it was discovered that his campaign Twitter account had "liked" several controversial tweets, including one that questioned whether one of the survivors of the Parkland school shooting, David Hogg, was a "crisis actor". [82] After an outcry from concerned constituents, Brat's office issued a statement that attributed the likes to a campaign staffer who believed they were logged into their personal account. He also said that safeguards were being put in place to ensure it did not happen again. [83]

Committee assignments

Political positions

Economy

Brat promised to vote against raising the debt ceiling for the first five years while he was in Congress, [84] and attacked Cantor during the primary campaign for voting to end the federal government shutdown of 2013. [84] Brat advocated an end to tax credits, deductions and loopholes, and called for a flatter and more efficient tax code. [85] "I'm not against business. I'm against big business in bed with big government", he said. [86]

Brat supported President Trump's trade policies, arguing that Americans benefited from re-negotiating NAFTA and that while tariffs on China would cause short-term harms, they would ultimately lead to "zero tariffs." [67]

Education

According to the Washington Post, Brat opposed federally driven education policies such as the Common Core curriculum and No Child Left Behind. [87] However, he expressed support for No Child Left Behind in his academic writings. [10]

Ethics reform

Brat's decision to enter the 2014 Republican primary was driven largely by Cantor's role in weakening congressional ethics reform. "If you want to find out the smoking gun in this campaign, just go Google and type the STOCK Act and CNN and Eric Cantor", Brat said. [86]

Healthcare

Brat opposed the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). [88] In March 2017, he said he opposed the initial version of the American Health Care Act, which was the GOP's replacement for Obamacare, and that he intended to vote against it in the House Budget Committee. [89] On May 4, 2017, Brat voted to repeal Obamacare and pass the revised version of the American Health Care Act. [90] [91] He said the bill contained protections for preexisting conditions and would lead to lower prices; The Washington Post noted that the bill would have allowed insurers to charge higher premiums for individuals with preexisting conditions, and that an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office estimated that average health care premiums would increase as a result of the bill (more so for older Americans). [67]

During his 2018 re-election campaign, Brat falsely claimed that The Washington Post fact-checker had given "four Pinocchios" to his opponent Abigail Spanberger for claims she made about Brat's position on health care. [92]

Foreign policy and defense

Brat called for the National Security Agency to end bulk collection of phone records and stated his support for statutory protections for e-mail privacy. He argued that domestic intelligence activities have "spun out of control" [93] and that "the NSA's indiscriminate collection of data on all Americans is a disturbing violation of our Fourth Amendment right to privacy." [94]

In an April 21, 2015, interview with radio talk show host Rusty Humphries, Brat claimed that the terrorist group ISIS had set up a base in Texas. "In our country it looks like we have an ISIS center in Texas now...You can't make up what a terrible problem this is." After the Texas Department of Public Safety responded that there was no substantiation for the claim, Brat's office said that he had really meant Mexico, not Texas, citing the conservative group Judicial Watch, which declined to provide any substantiation for its report. [95]

Immigration

Brat supported President Trump's 2017 executive order to temporarily curtail immigration from the Muslim-majority nations of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen until better screening methods are devised. Brat said that "the temporary halt on migration from seven countries will last only a few months until we have solid vetting procedures in place" and that "these seven countries with a temporary travel ban have been identified by both the Obama administration and our intelligence agencies as being the greatest threat to our national security because they have a history of training, harboring, and exporting terrorism." [96]

In September 2017, Brat said that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which provided temporary stay for unauthorized immigrants brought to the United as minors, allowed minors to "bring in their entire extended family once they reach a certain status" and could bring in up to four million additional immigrants. [97] PolitiFact disputed Brat's figure. [97]

Social issues

In 2011, Brat criticized the political right for simultaneously advancing the pursuit of individual liberty while pushing laws restricting abortion, gay rights and gambling, and the political left for simultaneously supporting progressive liberal individualism while coercing others to "fund every social program under the sun". [22]

Brat later claimed to pro-life. He co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act and pledged to remove federal funding from Planned Parenthood. [98]

Social Security and Medicare

Brat criticized both major parties' approach to Medicare and Social Security, stating, "neither side of the aisle will talk about the most important issues because that is going to involve pain." [99] He advocated "market-based reforms" to these programs, [100] arguing individuals ought not to receive more from programs than they have paid into them. [101]

Electoral history

Virginia's 7th congressional district Republican primary, 2014 [35]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Dave Brat 36,105 55.53%
Republican Eric Cantor (incumbent)28,91244.47%
Total votes65,017 100%
Virginia's 7th congressional district election, 2014 [35]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Dave Brat 148,026 60.83%
Democratic Jack Trammell 89,91436.95%
Libertarian James Carr5,0862.09%
Write-in3250.13%
Total votes243,351 100%
Republican hold
Virginia's 7th congressional district election, 2016 [65]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Dave Brat (incumbent) 218,057 57.71% −3.12%
Democratic Eileen Bedell160,15942.24%+5.29%
Write-in 9470.25%+0.12%
Total votes379,163 100.00% +135,812
Republican hold Swing N/A
Virginia's 7th congressional district election, 2018 [69]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Abigail Spanberger 176,079 50.3
Republican Dave Brat (incumbent)169,29548.4
Libertarian Joe Walton4,2161.2
n/a Write-ins1550.1
Total votes349,745 100.0
Democratic gain from Republican

Publications

Personal life

Brat moved to Virginia in 1996 with his wife, Laura. [105] They have two children. [106]

Brat was raised in a Presbyterian church and his wife is a Roman Catholic. [5] Splitting their time between two churches, [5] they are parishioners of St. Mary Catholic Church in Richmond. [107] Brat also identifies as a Calvinist and lists affiliations with Christ Episcopal Church, Third Presbyterian, and Shady Grove Methodist. [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Cantor</span> American politician (born 1963)

Eric Ivan Cantor is an American lawyer and former politician who represented Virginia's 7th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2014. A Republican, Cantor served as House Minority Whip from 2009 to 2011, and as House Majority Leader from 2011 to 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Virginia</span> Politics of the U.S. state of Virginia

The politics of Virginia have followed major historical events and demographic changes in the commonwealth. In the 21st century, the northern region has become more liberal in attitudes and voting, constituting a reliable voting bloc for Democrats and joining with population centers in the Richmond Metropolitan and Hampton Roads areas to dominate the state. Political orientation varies by region, with the larger cities and suburban areas generally voting Democratic and the rural areas voting Republican. The southern, rural regions have remained Republican. Until 2021 when the GOP swept all statewide offices, Virginia was shifting more Democratic and now is considered a swing state again by most pundits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia</span>

The 2010 congressional elections in Virginia were held November 2, 2010, to determine who will represent the state of Virginia in the United States House of Representatives. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected served in the 112th Congress from January 2011 until January 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 United States Senate election in Virginia</span>

The 2012 United States Senate election in Virginia took place on November 6, 2012, concurrently with the 2012 U.S. presidential election as well as other elections to the United States Senate and House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Jim Webb retired instead of running for reelection to a second term, and former Democratic governor of Virginia Tim Kaine won the open seat over Republican former senator and governor George Allen. Kaine was unopposed for the Democratic nomination, and the Republicans nominated Allen through a primary on June 12, 2012. Allen had previously held this seat for one term before narrowly losing reelection to Webb in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 United States House of Representatives elections</span> House elections for the 114th U.S. Congress

The 2014 United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 4, 2014, in the middle of President Barack Obama's second term in office. Elections were held for all 435 seats of the House of Representatives, representing the 50 states. Elections were also held for the non-voting delegates from the District of Columbia and four of the five territories. The winners of these elections served in the 114th United States Congress, with seats apportioned among the states based on the 2010 United States census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia</span>

The 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia were held on Tuesday, November 4, 2014, to elect the 11 members from the state of Virginia to the United States House of Representatives, one from each of the state's 11 congressional districts. On the same day, elections took place for other federal and state offices, including an election to the United States Senate. Primary elections, in which party nominees were chosen, were held on June 10, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Virginia gubernatorial election</span>

The 2017 Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2017. Incumbent Democratic governor Terry McAuliffe was unable to run for re-election, as the Constitution of Virginia prohibits the officeholder from serving consecutive terms; he later ran unsuccessfully for a second term in 2021.

John "Jack" Kent Trammell is a college professor and was the Democratic candidate in the 2014 general election for Virginia's 7th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, which was held on November 4, 2014. Trammell faced Dave Brat, who defeated incumbent Eric Cantor in the Republican primary; and Libertarian nominee James Carr. Both Trammell and Brat are professors at Randolph–Macon College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia</span>

The 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia were held on November 8, 2016, to elect a U.S. representative from each of Virginia's 11 congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as House of Representatives elections in other states, U.S. Senate elections and various state and local elections. The primaries were held on June 14.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Chase</span> American politician from Virginia

Amanda Chase is an American far-right politician and conspiracy theorist. From 2016 to 2024, she was a member of the Virginia Senate for the 11th District and represented Amelia County, the city of Colonial Heights, and part of Chesterfield County. Chase, self-described as "Trump in heels" was narrowly defeated in the primary of her reelection campaign for a redrawn 12th District in June 2023 and left office in January 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Freitas</span> American politician (born 1979)

Nicholas J. Freitas is an American politician and social media influencer. A Republican, he has been a member of the Virginia House of Delegates since 2016. He unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in 2018, losing in the primary election to Corey Stewart. He was the Republican nominee in the 2020 election to represent Virginia's 7th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, which he narrowly lost to Abigail Spanberger, the incumbent Democratic congresswoman. Before entering politics, he served in the United States Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 United States Senate election in Virginia</span>

The 2018 United States Senate election in Virginia took place on November 6, 2018, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the Commonwealth of Virginia, concurrently with other elections to the U.S. Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, who had been his party's unsuccessful nominee for vice president two years earlier, was re-elected to a second term in office, winning this seat by the largest margin since 1988. This was the first election since 1994 that anyone had been re-elected to this seat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia</span>

The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia were held on November 6, 2018, to elect the 11 U.S. representatives from the state of Virginia, one from each of the state's 11 congressional districts. The elections coincided with other states' elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. Primary elections took place on June 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John McGuire (Virginia politician)</span> American politician (born 1968)

John Joseph McGuire III is an American politician and businessman who is a member of the Virginia State Senate.

Liberal Women of Chesterfield County (LWCC) is a Facebook group of liberal women activists organized to support Democratic candidates in Chesterfield County, Virginia. LWCC's mission statement is: "LWCC strives to be a safe haven for liberal women and their allies to support, educate, and encourage one another to be actively involved in our government; and, furthermore, seeks to advance advocacy issues and campaigns that align with our progressive values of inclusivity and equal rights for all people."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abigail Spanberger</span> American politician (born 1979)

Abigail Anne Spanberger is an American intelligence officer who has served as the U.S. representative from Virginia's 7th congressional district since 2019. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Virginia gubernatorial election</span>

The 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 2021, to elect the next governor of Virginia. The election was concurrent with other elections for Virginia state offices. Incumbent Democratic governor Ralph Northam was ineligible to run for re-election, as the Constitution of Virginia prohibits governors from serving consecutive terms. Businessman Glenn Youngkin won the Republican nomination at the party's May 8 convention, which was held in 37 polling locations across the state, and was officially declared the nominee on May 10. The Democratic Party held its primary election on June 8, which former governor Terry McAuliffe easily won.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia</span>

The 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the 11 U.S. representatives from the state of Virginia, one from each of the state's 11 congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia</span>

The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia were held on November 8, 2022, to elect the 11 U.S. representatives from the state of Virginia, one from each of the state's 11 congressional districts. The elections coincide with other elections to the House of Representatives. Pursuant to state law, primaries organized through the Department of Elections were held on June 21, 2022. However, some Republican firehouse primaries were held on dates as late as May 21, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2025 Virginia gubernatorial election</span>

The 2025 Virginia gubernatorial election will be held on November 4, 2025. Incumbent Republican governor Glenn Youngkin will be ineligible to run for re-election, as the Constitution of Virginia prohibits the state's governors from serving consecutive terms.

References

  1. ↑ Martin, Jonathan (June 10, 2014). "Eric Cantor Defeated by David Brat, Tea Party Challenger, in G.O.P. Primary Upset" . The New York Times .
  2. ↑ Gary Robertson (May 2014). "News and Features". Richmond Magazine. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Virginia-7: Dave Brat (R)". nationaljournal.com. Archived from the original on June 20, 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  4. ↑ Elizabeth Nolan Brown (June 11, 2014). "Who Is Dave Brat? Take a Look at the Ayn Rand Loving, Immigration Reform Hating, Cato Institute Referencing Man Who Beat Eric Cantor – Reason 24/7". Reason.com. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Alma native now in the red hot heat of publicity". Themorningsun.com. June 6, 2014. Archived from the original on June 17, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  6. ↑ Juanski (June 11, 2014). "David Brat Archives | Michigan News". Michigan.icito.com. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  7. ↑ "News and Features". Richmond Magazine. December 7, 2013. Archived from the original on June 16, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Congressional Directory" (PDF). pp. 280–281. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 Camia, Catalina (June 11, 2014). "Who is Dave Brat, GOP giant-killer who took down Eric Cantor?". USA TODAY.
  10. 1 2 "Accidental tea party leader". POLITICO. June 12, 2014.
  11. ↑ Smith, Samantha (January 2, 2019). "Former Virginia Congressman Dave Brat named dean of Liberty School of Business". WSLS.
  12. ↑ O'Brien, Matt (June 11, 2014). "Dave Brat's unorthodox economics: Adam Smith was from a 'red state'". Washington Post.
  13. ↑ "Classes". Randolph-Macon College. Archived from the original on June 14, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  14. ↑ Levy, Pema (June 11, 2014). "What We Know About Dave Brat, the Tea Party Candidate Who Beat Eric Cantor". Newsweek. Archived from the original on June 13, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  15. ↑ Santoli, Michael (June 13, 2014). "The big bank that blessed Brat's upset of Eric Cantor". Yahoo Finance. Archived from the original on July 2, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism". Clemson University. Archived from the original on October 24, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  17. 1 2 "David Brat Faculty CV". Randolph-Macon College. Archived from the original on May 23, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Departing House member Brat lands at Liberty University". Politico. January 2, 2019. Archived from the original on January 3, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  19. ↑ "Liberty University announces leadership changes in academic administration » Liberty News". May 25, 2023.
  20. ↑ O'Brien, Matt (June 11, 2014). "Dave Brat's unorthodox economics: Adam Smith 'was from a red state'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 12, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  21. ↑ David Brat (2005). "Adam Smith's God: the End of Economics". Archived from the original on September 10, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  22. 1 2 3 Reid J. Epstein (June 11, 2014). "David Brat's Writings: Hitler's Rise 'Could All Happen Again'". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on June 13, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  23. 1 2 Roose, Kevin (June 11, 2014). "David Brat Just Became the Christian Right's Favorite Economist". New York Magazine. Archived from the original on June 13, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  24. ↑ Noah, Timothy (June 11, 2014). "Dave Brat: Christianity is the key to prosperity". MSNBC.com. Archived from the original on June 15, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  25. ↑ Zumbrum, Josh (June 11, 2014). "David Brat to Bernanke: Don't Underestimate the Value of Protestants". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on June 13, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  26. 1 2 Dias, Elizabeth (June 11, 2014). "David Brat's Biblical Views Shape His Tea Party Politics". Time. Archived from the original on June 12, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  27. ↑ Holladay, Hilary (November 2, 2018). "Election 2018: Dave Brat and Abigail Spanberger". The Daily Progress.
  28. ↑ Farley, Robert (May 6, 2014). "Fact check: Eric Cantor mislabels primary opponent". USA TODAY.
  29. ↑ Vozzella, Laura (October 26, 2018). "In Va. district..." Washington Post.
  30. ↑ Michelle Stanley (August 18, 2011). "Dr. David Brat seeks 56th House of Delegate Seat". Virginia Right. Archived from the original on June 14, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  31. ↑ Memoli, Michael A. (June 11, 2014). "Eric Cantor upset: How Dave Brat pulled off a historic political coup]". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on October 14, 2014. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
  32. ↑ Mascaro, Lisa; Michael A. Memoli; Mark Z. Barabak (June 11, 2014). "Washington reels as House's Eric Cantor loses to tea party challenger". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on October 28, 2014. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
  33. ↑ Betsy Woodruff (June 10, 2014). "Meet Dave Brat's 23 Year Old Campaign Manager". Washington Examiner. Archived from the original on June 14, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  34. ↑ Choma, Russ (June 11, 2014). "Dave Versus Goliath, By the Numbers". OpenSecrets. Archived from the original on June 13, 2014.
  35. 1 2 3 4 "2014 election results". Virginia.gov. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  36. 1 2 Martin, Jonathan (June 11, 2014). "Eric Cantor Defeated by David Brat, Tea Party Challenger, in G.O.P. Primary Upset". The New York Times. p. A1. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  37. ↑ Janet Hook and Kristina Peterson (June 10, 2014). "Eric Cantor Loses to Tea Party's David Brat in Virginia Primary". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  38. ↑ Robert Costa, Laura Vozzella and David A. Fahrenthold (June 10, 2014). "Eric Cantor succumbs to tea party challenger Tuesday". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  39. ↑ Eric Linton (June 10, 2014). "House Majority Leader Eric Cantor Defeated By Tea Party Challenger David Brat In Virginia GOP Primary". International Business Times. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  40. ↑ Chris Moody (June 11, 2014). "Washington is caught totally off guard by Cantor loss". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  41. 1 2 "House Majority Leader Eric Cantor loses GOP primary to tea-party challenger". The Dallas Morning News. Associated Press. June 10, 2014. Archived from the original on June 12, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  42. ↑ "Dave Brat's 23-year-old campaign manager Zachary Werrell - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. June 20, 2014.
  43. ↑ "Who is Dave Brat? Meet the man behind Cantor's historic upset". WJLA. June 11, 2014.
  44. 1 2 Steinhauer, Jennifer (June 12, 2014). "Once Snubbed, David Brat Turns the Tables". The New York Times. p. A1. Archived from the original on June 12, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  45. ↑ Gold, Matea (June 10, 2014). "How national tea party groups missed the David Brat boat". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on June 12, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014. Brat's victory underlined the deep schism in the party between its conservative base and its business wing.
  46. ↑ "Tea party stuns GOP leader Eric Cantor". The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2014. Brat also got help from the more conservative wing of the Virginia Republican Party, which for years has been split between more establishment Republicans and tea party activists.
  47. ↑ "Emboldened after Cantor, tea party crows". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2014. The GOP is expected to retain control of the House, but Brat's pounding of Cantor Tuesday ripped open the establishment-vs.-insurgent split that's plagued the party since the 2010 elections.
  48. ↑ Cassidy, John (June 11, 2014). "Cantor Loses, and Washington Goes Ape". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on June 12, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  49. ↑ Bump, Philip (June 10, 2014). "David Brat just beat Eric Cantor. Who is he?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  50. ↑ "How David Brat Won". Politico . June 11, 2014. Archived from the original on June 14, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  51. ↑ Peter, Grier (June 11, 2014). "Is David Brat really a tea partier?". The Christian Science Monitor . Archived from the original on June 12, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  52. ↑ Gold, Matea (June 10, 2014). "How national tea party groups missed the David Brat boat". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on June 12, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  53. ↑ "The Virginia Liberty Party 2014 General Election Endorsements". Virginia Liberty Party. Archived from the original on December 24, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  54. ↑ J.S., "Who Is David Brat?" Archived October 28, 2016, at the Wayback Machine , Democracy in America blog, The Economist , June 16, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  55. ↑ "The Beginning of Now". This American Life. Archived from the original on May 12, 2017. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
  56. ↑ "Cantor out in Tea Party shocker". thehill.com. The Hill. June 10, 2014. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  57. ↑ Parkinson, John. "Dave Brat: Meet the Candidate Who Beat Eric Cantor". ABC News. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  58. 1 2 Carr, David (June 16, 2014). "Eric Cantor's Defeat Exposed a Beltway Journalism Blind Spot". The New York Times . Archived from the original on March 20, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  59. ↑ Schapiro, Jeff (May 24, 2014). "In New Kent, Brat Backers Hope To Hold Cantor Accountable". Richmond Times-Dispatch.
  60. ↑ McConnell, Jim (June 4, 2014). "Retreading the GOP?". The Chesterfield Observer. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  61. ↑ Andrew Prokop (June 10, 2014). "Dave Brat and his Democratic general election opponent are both professors from the same college". Vox.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  62. ↑ Cania, Catalina (June 11, 2014). "Who is Dave Brat, GOP giant-killer who took down Eric Cantor?". USA Today . Archived from the original on December 29, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  63. ↑ Kenny, Steve. "In effort to aid successor, Eric Cantor to leave House early". www.bostonglobe.com. The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on August 4, 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
  64. ↑ "After Toppling Eric Cantor, Dave Brat Wins His Seat". U.S. News. Archived from the original on November 5, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  65. 1 2 "2016 U.S. House election results". Virginia.gov. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  66. ↑ "VA-07: Brat Moves from Lean Republican to Toss up | the Cook Political Report". July 6, 2018. Archived from the original on July 6, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  67. 1 2 3 "Rep. Brat and Democrat Spanberger tangle in first — and probably only — debate". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 16, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  68. ↑ Fuller, Matt (October 16, 2018). "GOP Congressman Somehow Manages To Mention Nancy Pelosi 21 Times In A Debate". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on October 16, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  69. 1 2 "2018 U.S. House election results" . Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  70. ↑ "Virginia's 7th House District Election Results: Dave Brat vs. Abigail Spanberger". Archived from the original on November 7, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  71. ↑ "Virginia House results from CNN". CNN . Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  72. ↑ "Dave Brat takes office as Eric I. Cantor's replacement in 7th District". The Daily Progress. November 12, 2014. Archived from the original on August 11, 2018.
  73. ↑ "What is the House Freedom Caucus, and who's in it?". Pew research center. October 20, 2015. Archived from the original on July 3, 2018. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  74. ↑ Stratford, Michael (January 2, 2019). "Departing House member Brat lands at Liberty University". POLITICO.
  75. ↑ French, Lauren (January 6, 2015) – "Hell No Caucus Sees Silver Lining In Loss" Archived April 5, 2015, at the Wayback Machine . POLITICO. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  76. ↑ Camia, Catalina (January 5, 2015) – "Rep. Dave Brat: Boehner Won't Have My Support" Archived March 7, 2015, at the Wayback Machine . USA Today. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  77. 1 2 Jenna Portnoy (February 21, 2017). "The women got up in Brat's grill, and then some". The Washington Post. Blackstone, Virginia. Archived from the original on February 22, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  78. ↑ Jenna Portnoy (January 31, 2017). "The women got up in Brat's grill, and then some". The Washington Post. Virginia. Archived from the original on February 20, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  79. ↑ Vanessa Remmers; Patrick Wilson (February 19, 2017). "Meet the women who are up in Dave Brat's grill". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  80. ↑ James Arkin (October 4, 2016). "GOP Starts to Eye Race to Replace Kaine in Senate". RealClearPolitics. Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  81. 1 2 3 Times-Dispatch, VANESSA REMMERS AND PATRICK WILSON Richmond. "She argued with liberals on Rep. Dave Brat's Facebook page. Then they found out he was paying her". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  82. ↑ Garcia, Eric; Garcia, Eric (March 2, 2018). "Brat's Office Removes 'Likes' of Controversial Parkland Tweets". Roll Call. Archived from the original on March 22, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  83. ↑ Times-Dispatch, PATRICK WILSON Richmond. "Rep. Dave Brat's Twitter account removes likes of controversial tweets after outcry". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  84. 1 2 Pierce, Charleps P. (June 11, 2014). "A Stunning Victory for the Tea Party, and What It Means". Esquire. Archived from the original on June 14, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  85. ↑ Strassel, Kim. "What Dave Brat Taught Conservatives". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 15, 2015. Retrieved June 12, 2014.(subscription required)
  86. 1 2 Fang, Lee (June 11, 2014). "Eric Cantor's Opponent Beat Him by Calling Out GOP Corruption". The Nation. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  87. ↑ Rosenwald, Michael (June 11, 2014). "Capitalism and ethics drive Brat's world view". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 13, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  88. ↑ Brat, Dave (June 6, 2014). "Brat: A challenger for the 7th District". Times Dispatch. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  89. ↑ "Obamacare repeal bill faces tough committee vote Thursday". POLITICO. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  90. ↑ "How the House voted to pass the GOP health-care bill". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 5, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  91. ↑ "How every member voted on health care bill". CNN. May 4, 2017. Archived from the original on May 4, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  92. ↑ "Analysis | Virginia congressman misrepresents Washington Post fact check in debate". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 16, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  93. ↑ Fung, Brian (June 11, 2014). "Eric Cantor was a friend of the NSA. The guy who beat him hates it". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on June 12, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  94. ↑ Lee, Timothy (June 10, 2014). "Eric Cantor's loss is bad news for the NSA". vox.com. Vox. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  95. ↑ Dylan Baddour, "U.S Rep. says ISIS operates Texas base" Archived May 7, 2015, at the Wayback Machine , Houston Chronicle, May 5, 2015 (Updated May 8, 2015), Retrieved May 8, 2015
  96. ↑ Blake, Aaron (January 29, 2017). "Coffman, Gardner join Republicans against President Trump's travel ban; here's where the rest stand". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on January 29, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  97. 1 2 "Rep. Dave Brat: DACA recipients lead to chain migration". @politifact. Archived from the original on September 17, 2017. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  98. ↑ "Planned Parenthood supporters protest outside Rep. Dave Brat's local office". WRIC. February 12, 2017.
  99. ↑ Walsh, Deirdre (June 11, 2014). "Cantor challenger, Dave Brat, 'shocked' as results rolled in". CNN. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  100. ↑ Vultaggio, Maria (June 10, 2014). "Who Is David Brat? Twitter Reacts To Eric Cantor's Tea Party Challenger". International Business Times. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  101. ↑ Digby Parton, Heather (June 12, 2014). "Libertarians' scary, new guru: Why Dave Brat is no populist hero". Salon. Archived from the original on June 13, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  102. ↑ Brat, David (April 1, 2011). "God and Advanced Mammon—Can Theological Types Handle Usury and Capitalism?". Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology. 65 (2): 168–179. doi:10.1177/002096431106500207. S2CID   144414577 . Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  103. ↑ "So Who's The Guy Who Just Beat Eric Cantor? Meet Dave Brat". The Huffington Post . Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  104. ↑ Takala, Rudy. "Dave Brat to release his first book this week". The Washington Examiner . Archived from the original on June 29, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  105. ↑ "Laura Brat profile". Dailyentertainmentnews.com. January 15, 1962. Archived from the original on June 13, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  106. ↑ "About Dave Brat". davebrat.com. Friends for Dave Bray. Archived from the original on September 20, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  107. ↑ "David Brat campaign website". Davebratforcongress.com. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the  U.S. House of Representatives
from Virginia's 7th congressional district
2014–2019		Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former US Representative Order of precedence of the United States
as Former US Representative		Succeeded byas Former US Representative
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.