Eric Cantor wins re-election

While incumbent Eric Cantor won the 7th district, he received his lowest percentage of votes ever, with 57 percent as of 9:45 p.m. The AP called the race in his favor early in the evening.

In 2010, he had received 59 percent of the vote, the lowest since taking the hill in 2000.

This was the first year that Cantor faced a serious challenger in Democrat Wayne Powell, a Richmond attorney and retired Army colonel.

A spokesman said that that cutting the middle ground was the campaign’s goal.

Cantor, the House Majority Leader and one of the most high-profile Republicans in Congress, said the large turnout embodies the commonwealth’s desire for commonsense conservatives.

“The voters of the 7th district embrace our vision of a smaller government, a responsible government, a government that understands it cannot spend money it doesn’t have,” he said during a victory speech early in the evening at the Republican gathering in Richmond.

The 2012 election featured Catnor’s first debate in years, and both candidates aired negative ads.

Powell didn’t receive financial support from the national party, while Cantor had at least $1.7 million in his campaign account. Had Powell won, it would have been national news.

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