(CNN) -- What a difference 24 hours makes. Jack Trammell unanimously won the Democratic nomination for Virginia's 7th Congressional District seat at the party convention last weekend. That's because no one else wanted to run against Rep. Eric Cantor, the second most powerful Republican in the House. But after Cantor's shocking defeat in his primary Tuesday against political novice Dave Brat, Trammell's candidacy has a whole new meaning. Democrats have a bit more hope in this Republican district, now that the upstart Democrat is up against an upstart Republican -- both of whom are professors at the same college. "Now it's going to be a grass-roots race to get out their base," Ashley Bauman, press secretary for the Virginia Democratic Party, said.
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Jack Trammell is the Democratic challenger in Virginia's 7th District
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He is a college professor from Randolph-Macon college
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He has never run for office but has written 21 books
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The district is solidly Republican but Cantor's defeat shook the district
But his statement after the Republican primary results indicates he's a fast learner, as it echoed the message of national @placeholder.