RICHMOND, Va. - One day after he was replaced as U.S. House Majority Leader, Congressman Rep. Eric Cantor (R - 7th District) announced he will resign from Congress. The resignation takes effect August 18.
"During this time of transition for me and my family, it is my foremost desire to ensure that representation is maintained for the people of the 7th District. For this reason, I have asked Governor McAuliffe to hold a special election on Election Day, at no additional cost to taxpayers, so my successor can be sworn in immediately in November," Rep. Cantor wrote in a Richmond Times Dispatch editorial in which he announced his resignation.
Cantor delivered his closing remarks as Majority Leader on Thursday in the U.S. House.
Cantor lost to political newbie Dave Brat in June's Republican primary. Cantor has since said he will support Brat in the November election.
"I want to thank Eric for his service to the Seventh District and to the entire Commonwealth," candidate Brat said in a statement. "The time one has to sacrifice to be an elected official is enormous, and he has sacrificed a great deal to serve the people. I also want to thank him for his endorsement. I wish Eric and his family the best in their future endeavors."
What are those future endeavors? Cantor did not get into specifics.
"While my days as a congressman will soon be behind me, my days of fighting for those ideas as a citizen are ahead of me," he wrote. "I’d like to thank the voters, my neighbors, my friends, for giving me the extraordinary opportunity to serve, and I look forward to continuing to work for an America that works and an America that leads."
