The two Randolph-Macon College professors running for Virginia’s 7th District did their best Tuesday night to make sure their workplace knew they didn’t want to be there anymore.  

Dave Brat, an economics professor and the surprise Republican primary winner who beat former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor this June debated with his academic colleague, Democrat Jack Trammell, an associate professor of sociology at the campus they’ve toiled together at for more than a decade.  

“I see many familiar faces” here, Trammell said in his closing remarks before adding, “I miss this place [but] I’m hoping I’m not coming back.” It was sentiment echoed by Brat, that he hoped any return to the college would be as a congressman, not a professor. Randolph-Macon President Robert Lindgren said whoever loses would be welcomed back. That will likely be Trammell, as the race is rated as Safe Republican by the Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call.  

The mostly-academic tone of the debate touched on taxes, health care, immigration and the minimum wage. So much so that Brat razzed Trammell that: “If I had him in class, I’d give him an ethics paper and send him to the dean.”  

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