Virginia Rep. Dave Brat, a member of the conservative Republican House Freedom Caucus, smiles before the vote on the House farm bill, which failed to pass, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, May 18, 2018. When Dave Brat shocked the political world in 2014, beating the man who was set to become the next speaker of the House in a Republican primary, his congressional district was more favorable to Republicans than it is now. The outcome of Brat’s contest against Democrat Abigail Spanberger will speak volumes on election night — less than three weeks from now — about how big a potential Democratic wave could be.
