10 June 2014
Last updated at 20:45 ET
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor was viewed as a potential successor to House Speaker John Boehner
Little-known economics professor David Brat defeated the second-ranking House of Representatives member 56%-44%.
Mr Brat's shock victory exposed conservative dissatisfaction with Mr Cantor, who was first elected in 2000.
Mr Cantor had been widely favoured to win, having raising significantly more money than Mr Brat.
But Mr Brat attacked Mr Cantor's record, including his support for some immigration reforms, and rallied enthusiastic members of the anti-tax, conservative populist Tea Party movement in the low-turnout race.
In a forewarning of trouble, last month Mr Cantor was booed at a meeting of Republican activists after a local party chairman whom he supported was removed in favour of a Tea Party candidate.
A lawyer, Mr Cantor, 51, was first elected to Congress in 2000 after serving nine years in the Virginia House of Delegates.
After the Tea Party emerged in 2009, he forged ties with the loose-knit movement, drawing on its support to help the Republicans take control of the House of Representatives the following year.
Mr Cantor was seen as representing a more conservative counterweight to House Speaker John Boehner, seen by some in the Tea Party as too conciliatory to Democratic President Barack Obama.
He was even viewed by some as possible successor to Mr Boehner.
Mr Brat will now face Democratic nominee Jack Trammell - also a professor at Randolph-Macon College - in this fall's general election.
Eric Cantor loses Virginia Republican Party primary
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor was viewed as a potential successor to House Speaker John Boehner
US
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor has lost a Virginia Republican Party
primary election to a challenger from the hard-right Tea Party movement.
Mr Brat's shock victory exposed conservative dissatisfaction with Mr Cantor, who was first elected in 2000.
Mr Cantor had been widely favoured to win, having raising significantly more money than Mr Brat.
But Mr Brat attacked Mr Cantor's record, including his support for some immigration reforms, and rallied enthusiastic members of the anti-tax, conservative populist Tea Party movement in the low-turnout race.
In a forewarning of trouble, last month Mr Cantor was booed at a meeting of Republican activists after a local party chairman whom he supported was removed in favour of a Tea Party candidate.
A lawyer, Mr Cantor, 51, was first elected to Congress in 2000 after serving nine years in the Virginia House of Delegates.
After the Tea Party emerged in 2009, he forged ties with the loose-knit movement, drawing on its support to help the Republicans take control of the House of Representatives the following year.
Mr Cantor was seen as representing a more conservative counterweight to House Speaker John Boehner, seen by some in the Tea Party as too conciliatory to Democratic President Barack Obama.
He was even viewed by some as possible successor to Mr Boehner.
Mr Brat will now face Democratic nominee Jack Trammell - also a professor at Randolph-Macon College - in this fall's general election.
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