Washington -Eager to bolster his June fundraising totals, Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District, has distributed a fundraising appeal that says House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s surprise loss in a primary is evidence the Tea Party is on the rise and that people should donate to the Democrats’ campaign.

Himes said “[Cantor’s] defeat may seem like cause for Democrats to celebrate. I disagree.”

“If the Tea Party isn’t beaten back, it will be even harder to revitalize our infrastructure, invest in our education system, prevent gun violence, or protect our environment,” Himes’ fundraising letter said.

Nowhere in his appeal, entitled “Shockwaves,” does Himes mention his GOP opponent, Dan Debicella.

Cantor lost to Tea Party Republican David Brat last week and decided to step down from his leadership position. But that’s no help to the Tea Party.

The front-runner to succeed Cantor is Rep. Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican who is considered more moderate than Cantor.

If McCarthy wins a substantial number of GOP votes in leadership elections Thursday, it’s likely House Speaker John Boehner and mainline Republicans will have strengthened their hand against rebellious Tea Party House members.

Ana has written about politics and policy in Washington, D.C.. for Gannett, Thompson Reuters and UPI. She was a special correspondent for the Miami Herald, and a regular contributor to The New York TImes, Advertising Age and several other publications. She has also worked in broadcast journalism, for CNN and several local NPR stations. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Journalism.

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