Virginia’s 7th District Congressman Eric Cantor became the first Virginian named party whip.

Media General  reports that Cantor, a Republican, is the first representative from the Commonwealth to win the whip post in either party. With the new post, Cantor will work to coordinate votes of Republicans in the House. Cantor’s youth (he is 45) and  fundraising efforts are rumored to  put him in line as a potential Speaker of the House in the future.

Former Republican whips include former Newt Gingrich, R-GA (who went on to become Speaker), Vice President Dick Cheney and former Senator Trent Lott, R-Miss.

Cantor was also in the news recently for lambasting Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s speech on the eve of the vote for the $700 billion bailout package. Pelosi "frankly struck a tone of partisanship that was inappropriate in this discussion," said Cantor. "This is not a partisan crisis," Cantor said. "This is an economic crisis facing everyone."

Which Virginia politicians will be in line next for national prominence?

Eric Cantor represents the 7th Congressional District that stretches from the West End of Richmond and Chesterfield County, through Montpelier and northward to Page and Rappahannock Counties.