A House Divided? Randolph-Macon in National Political Spotlight

Randolph-Macon CollegeEric Cantor had his doubts as to the viability of a professor as a legitimate contender for Congressional office. At Virginia’s 7th District Republican Convention on May 10, before an animated crowd, Cantor questioned whether an academic could handle the stresses of Washington.

“It is easy to sit in the rarefied environs of academia, in the ivory towers of a college campus, with no accountability and no consequence,” said Cantor. “When you throw stones at those of us who are working every day to make a difference, it’s easy to say that you’re going to stand up to Obama and the left-wing attack machine.”

Yet voters in the 7th District did not share Cantor’s dim view of academics. Cantor’s opponent, David Brat, a professor of economics and business at Randolph-Macon College, in Ashland, Virginia, handily won the 7th District open primaries on June 10. The upset was all the more shocking given that Cantor had won the past seven races for the seat.

Now not one, but two professors from Randolph-Macon College will fight it out for Cantor’s seat in November. John Kent Trammell won the Democratic nomination at the 7th District Democratic Convention the weekend prior.

The two professors represent the opposite ends of the political spectrum. Brat is a favorite of the local Tea Party constituency, a scholar of Ayn Rand and criticized Cantor for his supposed lax stance on immigration reform. Trammell is a professor of sociology and director of Disability Support Services at Randolph-Macon. He is also a prolific author of works such as Reflections of a Southern Gentleman Farmer.

Randolph-Macon is a liberal arts college, affiliated with the Methodist Church. The 1,300 students who normally attend the school have largely scattered for the summer, although a few remain on campus.

Since the college is small, “everyone knows everybody,” as John Rackey, president of the R-MC Young Democrats, put it. Brat garners attention from the student body for his charisma and the fact that he requires students attending his classes to wear business casual attire in an effort to prepare them for the business world. Trammell has a more muted presence on campus, according to Rackey, though he is also well liked. “Faculty and students can’t say enough good things about him,” said Rackey, a rising senior double majoring in political science and music.