Meet Eric Cantor. He is a fourth-term Republican Congressman representing the 7th District of Virginia and also holds the leadership position of House Chief Deputy Minority Whip. He too is now rumored to be on John McCain’s “short list” as his Vice Presidential running mate. Read his biography, see photos and video below.
It’s being reported that Team McCain has asked Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor for personal documents as the Republican presidential candidate steps up his search for a running mate. Cantor is a stalwart conservative and a good ideological choice for McCain, perhaps bolstering his support from wary conservatives such as myself.
Many see him as one of the best young turks in the GOP. In fact, in a recent National Journal anonymous poll of three dozen Republican congressmen and senators, Cantor received the second-highest number of votes — behind only Mitt Romney — for whom they would like as McCain’s veep pick.
Cantor’s name has been in the background on McCain’s VP search all along. But since many may not be familiar with him, here’s a quick look:
- Cantor represents a district that went 61% – 38% for Bush in 2004;
- He is the only Jewish Republican in the House;
- He won his 2006 re-election 64% – 34%;
- He received a 100% conservative rating from the ACU in 2007.
With Virginia now being considered a “battleground” state, it would clearly be an interesting pick especially if Obama chose Gov. Tim Kaine also from Virginia. Hopefully, we find out soon.
Eric Cantor was born in Richmond, Virginia on June 6, 1963 so his age is 45. He attended George Washington University where he was a member of the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity and received his Juris Doctor from the College of William and Mary. He also did graduate work at Columbia University receiving a master’s degree in government.
Cantor worked for over a decade with his family’s small business doing legal work and real estate development. He was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, serving there from 1992 to 2001, when he was elected to the House of Representatives.
During his first term in Congress, 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, 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 a supporter of strong US-Israel relations. His 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 May of 2008, Cantor criticized Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for stating that President George W. Bush’s policies in the Middle East were doing Israel more harm than good. Cantor stated that Pelosi was “living in another world” if she believed Bush’s policies had harmed Israel and added:
“There is near unanimity in those who are interested in the U.S.- Israel relationship that this has been the best president Israel has had in the White House. I don’t think you hear a foreign policy speech by this White House and this administration that doesn’t mention Iran.”
Rep. Cantor is married to Diana Fine and they have 3 children: Evan, Jenna and Michael.
“Rep. Eric Cantor slams Obama” Video
August 3rd, 2008 at 4:12 am
Eh, snooze. Palin Palin Palin! Cantor is not a horrible choice, but VA is not a battleground state. They said that in 2004 and Bush won the state 5 minutes after the polls closed. I get going after the Jewish vote I guess.
August 3rd, 2008 at 8:56 am
Appeases the conservatives, and he’s young and fresh, but boy, this one is out of left field. You can argue that he has less experience than Obama.
August 3rd, 2008 at 5:38 pm
He looks like a junior manager at a retail clothes outfit to me.
August 3rd, 2008 at 6:15 pm
If Mr. Cantor is chosen by McCain: proof positive my party has been hijacked by neo-cons. It will further destroy this wonderful country.
August 3rd, 2008 at 6:36 pm
are the neocons still out there waiting to swoop in?
August 3rd, 2008 at 7:12 pm
neocons? hmmmm sounds a bit racist to me.
August 3rd, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Well, if Cantor is chosen it will make NOT voting for Obama so much easier.
August 3rd, 2008 at 9:08 pm
well neocons are a breed apart from the rest of us no nothings. You can’t look at a picture of Wolfowitz or Richard Perle and have any question they are alien neocons and structurally different looking than the rest of humanity. Just look for yourself and you will see they aren’t Mr. Rogers.
August 3rd, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Eric Cantor would make an excellent VP candidate and a good balance for John McCain. He will add support from Virginia and Florida – two necessary states. More importantly he will bring in enthusiastic campaign support from conservative/traditionalist Catholics, Evangelical Protestants and Jewish voters. We need a strong pro-life and pro-Israel leadership in this country and in the free world. Cantor add to the growing list of strong conservative leaders for our future like Gov. Sarah Palin, Congresswoman Michelle Bachman, Gov Bobby Jindal and Mitt Romney. McCains VP will likely be the presidential candidate in 2012. That’s a key factor. But first to get them in!!!
August 3rd, 2008 at 10:09 pm
he still looks like a junior clothing store manager. And we have had enough of virginian(next to the beltway) and floridian hijinx. He’s just one more suit from the military- police department when what we need is a good domestic vice president who will work the infrastructure, health care, pension, educational issues rather than just police us and the rest of the world. We need a domestically attuned vice president, not some extremist of the vir-flor axis running around trying to rule an unruly world. No more stalling for a change!!! Winning just to build your ego and power control freakness needs and desires doesn’t serve us with the skills we need.
August 4th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
it is the trick nobody will choose him romney is the vice president he already made his mind long time ago
August 9th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
romney actually does present himself well, and sounds more competent than most and his business background is a plus. He seems to understand the economy the best of all the candidates and he has a close mutually respectful relationship with his son’s which says a lot in my book. Romney is kind of jingoistic for a massachussettian so he is immature in some ways but no doubt learning. He or Lieberman are two possible candidates.
February 14th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
I know the future its going to be Palin