Dave Brat
David Alan Brat (born July 27, 1964) is an American academic and former politician. A member of the Republican Party, Brat served as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 7th congressional district from 2014 to 2019.
Dave Brat | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 7th district | |
| In office November 12, 2014 – January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Eric Cantor |
| Succeeded by | Abigail Spanberger |
| Personal details | |
| Born | David Alan Brat July 27, 1964 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Laura Sonderman (m. 1996) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Hope College (BA) Princeton Theological Seminary (MDiv) American University (PhD) |
Brat came to national prominence when he defeated the U.S. House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor, in the 2014 Republican primary in Virginia's 7th congressional district. His primary victory, which he achieved with the support of the Tea Party movement, made Brat the first primary challenger to oust a sitting House Majority Leader since the position's creation in 1899. Brat went on to win the 2014 general election and was re-elected to Congress in 2016. During his congressional tenure, Brat was known as a conservative Republican and a member of the Freedom Caucus. He was defeated by Democrat Abigail Spanberger in the 2018 election.
In January 2019, Brat was named dean of the Liberty University School of Business.