Eric Cantor

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Eric Cantor
Eric Cantor
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Virginia's 7th district
Incumbent
Assumed office 
January 3, 2001
Preceded by Tom Bliley
Born June 6, 1963 (1963-06-06) (age 44)
Richmond, Virginia
Political party Republican
Spouse Diana
Religion Jewish

Eric Ivan Cantor (born June 6, 1963) is an American politician who has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 2001, representing Virginia's 7th congressional district (map). The district includes most of the wealthier portions of Richmond, as well as most of that city's suburbs and portions of the Shenandoah Valley. Cantor is the sole Jewish Republican in the House.[1]

Born in Richmond, Cantor attended George Washington University, received his J.D. from the College of William and Mary, and did graduate work at Columbia University. After working in private practice as a lawyer, Cantor was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, serving there from 1992 to 2001, when he was elected to the House.

During his first term in office, Cantor was selected to serve as Chairman of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare. He has also served on the House Financial Services Committee and on the House International Relations Committee and the very powerful House Ways and Means Committee. Since his second term, he has served as chief deputy Republican whip, the highest appointed position in the Republican caucus.

Cantor is married to Diana Fine.[2] On June 8, 2005, he criticized Howard Dean for referring to the Republican Party as a "white, Christian party".[3] In the 2006 midterm elections, Cantor defeated Jim Nachman, the Democratic nominee and Independent candidate Dr. Brad Blanton. Cantor received 64% of the votes.

Cantor is a supporter of Israel, cosponsoring legislation that would cut off all U.S. taxpayer aid to the Palestinian Authority and another bill calling for an end to taxpayer aid to the Palestinians until they stop unauthorized excavations on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.[4] Responding to a claim by the State Department that the United States provides no "direct" aid to the Palestinian Authority, Cantor stated that United States sends about $75 million in aid annually to the Palestinian Authority, which is administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development. Cantor also stated that Congress approved a three-year package of $400 million in aid for the Palestinian Authority in 2000.[5] Cantor's cousin, Daniel Cantor Wultz, died as the result of a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv which was carried out by Islamic Jihad on April 17, 2006.

In June of 2007, Cantor criticized the newly elected Democratic congress, stating that: "We are now halfway through the first year of the 110th Congress and there is no question that the failure on the part of the Democrats in terms of their midterm exam is really a letdown to the expectations of the American people."[6]

In the 2002 election, Cantor defeated Democrat opponent Ben "Cooter" Jones, who starred on the popular TV series The Dukes of Hazzard. [7]

[edit] Electoral history

Virginia's 7th congressional district: Results 2000–2006[8]
Year Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct
2000 Warren A. Stewart 94,935 33% Eric Cantor 192,652 67% *
2002 Ben L. "Cooter" Jones 49,854 30% Eric Cantor 113,658 69% *
2004 (no candidate) Eric Cantor 230,765 75% W. Brad Blanton Independent 74,325 24% *
2006 James M. Nachman 88,206 34% Eric Cantor 163,706 64% W. Brad Blanton Independent 4,213 2% *
*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 2000, write-ins received 304 votes. In 2002, write-ins received 153 votes. In 2004, write-ins received 568 votes. In 2006, write-ins received 272 votes.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Massing, Michael. "The Storm over the Israel Lobby", The New York Review of Books, June 8, 2006, accessed April 17, 2007. "...Eric Cantor, the only Jewish Republican in the House, who in 2002 was named the chief deputy majority whip..."
  2. ^ Diana Cantor: Helping Families Finance College, Jewish Woman, Fall 2003.
  3. ^ Cantor Statement on Howard Dean’s Recent Comments, press release dated June 8, 2005
  4. ^ Jewish minyan grows in Senate; Jew elected to House, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, November 8, 2002.
  5. ^ Bush waives law forbidding U.S. aid to PLO
  6. ^ It's the people vs. the government, new poll suggests
  7. ^ Republicans projected to retain House
  8. ^ Election Statistics. Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Thomas J. Bliley, Jr.		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Virginia's 7th congressional district
2001 – present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Roy Blunt		 Chief Deputy Republican Whip
2002-present		 Incumbent
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