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Virginia Governor Calls for Special Election to Replace Cantor

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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Gov. Terry McAuliffe has called for a special election to replace former U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.

McAuliffe's office announced Tuesday that he had signed a writ of elections declaring November 4 a special election.

Cantor announced last week that he plans to leave office early and resign on August 18. He requested McAuliffe call a special election on November 4 - the same day as the general election - so that his successor could begin serving immediately.

Cantor lost a June Republican primary to Dave Brat, a college professor backed by libertarian and tea party supporters. The Richmond-area 7th Congressional District leans heavily Republican. Democrat Jack Trammell and Libertarian James Carr are also running.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.