we hope to have jeff shapiro, the dean of the political delegation in virginia.e's making his way to studio. but let me start with you. you had folks staking out boehner's restaurant. it was like an episode out of "house of cards." the deck has been scrambled and there's one election everyone is focused on. >> it's like the capital never closed last night and it continues this morning and all through this week as we see what happens in this leadership race. we'll see what cantor does in terms of whether or not he decides to -- >> does he stay now, open it up now? >> exactly. >> you would assume if he decides to go now, does that mean leadership has more power in deciding who it, is the current set of leadership or if he waits until after the election, does it make it wide open? >> i would say leadership has a little less leeway, if he goes now, which means he's probably inclined to stick it out. just because you don't know what's going to happen in the mid-term election, right, you're taking a chance, the conservatives who probably want one of their own guys in t

>> reporter: jeff shapiro says conservative anger over cantor's past effort to craft some immigration reform was only one costly factor. >> immigration certainly was a focal point in the closing hours of the race, and the perception that cantor was trying to have it both ways on this issue i think took root, as well. >> reporter: you thought he was a shoe-in? >> i personally thought he was a shoe-in. >> reporter: others blamed low turnout saying voters were simply turned off by washington and tuned out of this race. kelly o'donnell, nbc news, glen allen, virginia. >>> this is chuck todd in shell shocked washington where key republican leaders were keeping mum and trying to regroup to digest the cantor news. >> we'll get through this like we get through everything. >> hold on. you know i'm not going to talk to you so just disappear. >> reporter: eric cantor broke his silence late this afternoon. >> i'm going to leave the political analysis to y'all. >> reporter: but while republican leaders struggled, rank and file conservatives declared the message from virginia voters was obvious, it

political writer jeff shapiro -- >> sometimes ideas are bigger than dollars. also, thinly attended primaries, fewer votes make for big surprises. >> reporter: what may have helped brat most was cantor himself, whose disconnect from the district may have led to his downfall. >> i honestly wasn't very impressed. >> why not? >> too extremist, too close-minded. >> it's a lose-lose situation. happy that cantor lost. i'm not sure how happy i am about the guy that won. >> reporter: it's on to the general election now. this is a strong republican district, it's clear one way or the other, they have traded in one of most powerful politicians in the country for somebody who's headed to the back bench in the house of representatives. >> joe johns, thanks. even congressman -- sorry. even the nominee, david brat, was a surprise at his showing last night. funny thing happening on youtube, after the msnbc interview today, according to tweet from our cnn political commentator, washington correspondent for the new yorker, quote, wow, someone is taking down brat's videos. proba

political writer jeff shapiro of the richmond "times dispatch." >> sometimes ideas are bigger than dollarswhat may have helped brat most was cantor, himself, whose disconnect from the district led to his downfall. >> i honestly wasn't very impressed. too closed minded. >> it's kind of a lose/lose situation. i'm happy cantor lost. i'm not sure how happy i am about the guy that won. >> reporter: it's on to the general election now. this is a strong republican district. it's pretty clear they have traded in one of the most powerful republicans in congress for a member who is likely to be on the back bench of the house of representatives. wolf? >> joe johns in richmond, virginia, for us. thanks. let's bring in our chief national correspondent, john king. he's the anchor of cnn's "inside politics." and our political commentator, ryan lizza of the "new yorker" magazine. so does this mean nothing is going to get done in washington for the rest of this year? what do you think? >> sure looks that way. the republicans will now have this leadership election and fairly or unfairly eric cantor was view