Eric Cantor
Eric Ivan Cantor (born June 6, 1963) 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.
Eric Cantor | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2012 | |
| House Majority Leader | |
| In office January 3, 2011 – August 1, 2014 | |
| Speaker | John Boehner |
| Preceded by | Steny Hoyer |
| Succeeded by | Kevin McCarthy |
| House Minority Whip | |
| In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011 | |
| Leader | John Boehner |
| Preceded by | Roy Blunt |
| Succeeded by | Steny Hoyer |
| House Republican Chief Deputy Whip | |
| In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2009 | |
| Appointed by | Roy Blunt |
| Leader | Dennis Hastert |
| Preceded by | Roy Blunt |
| Succeeded by | Kevin McCarthy |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 7th district | |
| In office January 3, 2001 – August 18, 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas J. Bliley Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Dave Brat |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 73rd district | |
| In office January 8, 1992 – January 3, 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Walter Stosch |
| Succeeded by | John O'Bannon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Eric Ivan Cantor June 6, 1963 Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Diana Fine (m. 1989) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | George Washington University (BA) College of William and Mary (JD) Columbia University (MS) |
Prior to serving in the House of Representatives, Cantor represented the 73rd district in the Virginia House of Delegates. His congressional district included most of the northern and western sections of Richmond, along with most of Richmond's western suburbs, and until redistricting in 2013 also portions of the Shenandoah Valley.
In June 2014, in his bid for reelection, Cantor lost the Republican primary to economics professor Dave Brat in an upset that greatly surprised political analysts. In response, Cantor announced his early resignation as House Majority Leader. Several weeks later, he announced his resignation from Congress, which took effect on August 18, 2014. Shortly thereafter, Cantor accepted a position as vice chairman of investment bank Moelis & Company. At the time of his resignation, Cantor was the highest-ranking Jewish member of Congress in its history and the only non-Christian Republican in either house.