Defeated Cantor Will Step Down

Eric Cantor, fresh off last night's stunning collapse in the Virginia GOP primary for the House seat he's held since 2001, will step down as House majority leader in the coming weeks, reports the New York Times. The move, which the Washington Post pegs at the end of July, is aimed at smoothing a leadership transition within a shell-shocked party. In GOP powwows this morning, Cantor firmly refused to mount a write-in campaign against Dave Brat, saying, "To run a write-in campaign is to run not as a Republican, and I am a Republican." He's set to formally announce his plans this afternoon, notes the Post. Machinations to succeed Cantor are already underway in earnest—there's more on who's in the running here—and the GOP wants it done fast, lest it further engulf the leadership. (More Eric Cantor stories.)