WASHINGTON (AP) – Dave Brat, who upset House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the GOP primary this year, was sworn in Wednesday evening to finish out the remainder of Cantor’s term.
“Throughout my campaign, as President Reagan said, I tried to appeal to people’s best hopes, and not their worst fears,” Brat said in a brief speech to the House after his swearing in. He said he focused on solutions, especially on economic issues, and that’s how he’ll approach his responsibilities as lawmaker.
Brat took office early because Cantor resigned his Virginia House seat in August. Voters last week cast two ballots for Brat. One was to fill the remainder of Cantor’s unexpired term, and the other was for the full two-year term beginning in January, when most new members will be sworn in.
Two other members also took office Wednesday night to fill out terms of members who resigned early. One is North Carolina Democrat Alma Adams, a former state lawmaker, who replaces former Rep. Mel Watt, a Democrat who resigned to become director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The other is New Jersey Democrat Donald Norcross, a former state senator, who replaces Rob Andrews, a Democrat who resigned to work for a law firm.
Adams became the 100th voting member of the current Congress on Wednesday night, and she paid homage to the women who came before her.