Eric Cantor, the U.S. House Majority Leader, lost to Tea Party challenger David Brat in the primary to reclaim his Virginia congressional seat and will resign from his leadership position next month.

Eric Cantor To Resign After Defeat In Primary

Brat, an economics professor at Randolph Macon College in Ashland, Va., who ran on little more than $200,000, campaigned on a platform to make it look as though Cantor was not conservative enough. Cantor’s position on immigration was a main point on which Brat made him out to be insufficiently conservative.

Cantor, who has served seven terms as a Virginia congressman, had raised $5.4 million for his incumbent campaign, which he used to run TV ads and to inundate his district with fliers. In many of his ads, Cantor attempted to fight back against Brat’s condemnation of his immigration policy, reiterating he did not support an “amnesty” policy. The flood of ads, which heavily focused on immigration, are thought to have worked against him.

Prior to his crushing defeat, Cantor was believed to be the Republican leader most likely to succeed Speaker John Boehner. His loss has sent shockwaves through the Republican Party in Washington, and may have a marked effect on how fellow Republicans position themselves on matters such as immigration come midterm elections.

“There are some very angry people upset with the status quo, and Eric became part of that,” former Representative Thomas M. Davis III, a Virginia Republican, told The New York Times. “He was the only conduit they have to express their anger right now. And when Eric Cantor, a conservative and member of the leadership, is too moderate, it sends a chilling effect to other Republicans and makes it that much harder to cross over and work together.”

Eric Cantor Resignation As Majority Leader

Less than 24 hours after learning that Brat had ousted him from his congressional seat, Cantor plans to announce his resignation as House Majority Leader. On Wednesday, the politician will reveal that he'll be stepping down from his leadership role on July 31, according to the Washington Post. With Cantor vacating the position, the GOP will have to scramble to find his successor.

In November, Brat will face off against fellow Randolph-Macon professor, Democrat Jack Trammell.