Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Don Beyer handily defeated a crowded Democratic primary field Tuesday night in a win that will almost certainly send him to Congress next year in this Arlington-based district.  

In a crowded field, Beyer defeated his next closest primary opponent, state Del. Patrick Hope, 45 percent to 20 percent, with 67 percent of precincts reporting, according to The Associated Press.  

He is now the favorite to succeed retiring Rep. James P. Moran in this district, which voted for President Barack Obama with 68 percent in 2012.  

But Beyer’s win was largely overshadowed by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s primary defeat in Virginia’s 7th District. Cantor lost to a underfunded tea party opponent David Brat by a large margin.  

Unlike Cantor’s loss, Beyer’s win is unsurprising.  

He went into Tuesday’s primary as the odds-on favorite in the race. Many candidates had dropped out before Tuesday’s race, citing no path to victory .  

He raised more than $1.1 million for the primary, far outpacing his competitors in the money chase. He is also familiar to many of the district’s voters thanks to his chain of successful car dealerships in the region that bear his name.  

Virginia’s 8th District is rated a Safe Democratic contest by the Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call.