Conventional wisdom has Eric Cantor rising through the ranks in the House. But he's also the best hope for Virginia Republicans to hold John Warner's Senate seat.

Here's why the guy I wrote in for Senate in 2002 is still the best choice:

• He's the most talented member of the Virginia delegation.
  
• He hails from the Richmond suburbs, maybe the state's pivotal region. Northern Virginia has decisively rejected the last two GOP candidates on cultural grounds -- they were from the stix or acted like it. Cantor is from the suburbs in an increasingly suburban state. At the same time, he doesn't hail from NoVa proper and will find it easier to connect with conservatives throughout the Commonwealth.
  
• Cantor's conservative record would be a marked improvement over John Warner. He scores a solid 82% on the Club for Growth's RePORK Card, the best in the Republican leadership.
  
• Cantor's Congressional seat is solidly Republican and doesn't flip if he runs.
  
• He has one of the most obscenely high cash-on-hand totals in the House. That could scare off opponents. Of all the potential candidates, he has the most potential of scaring off Mark Warner -- who could figure a bruising fight against the tough as nails, well funded Cantor isn't worth it -- and that he'll be better positioned by running for governor against George Allen in 2009. Running in 2008 also rules out Warner as VP on the Hillary ticket. 

Why not send Cantor a message of support today at EricCantor.com?

Tom Davis could best serve the Republican Party by staying where he is, something he can well appreciate as a former NRCC Chairman. He's the right fit for where Fairfax County is right now. If he goes, so does his district.

As for Jim Gilmore, we need look no further than his recent 11th place publicity stunt to evaluate his skill as a candidate. Yes, he was always a longshot, but the fact that he ranked well below three sitting U.S. Congressmen who both started with near-zero name ID should tell us something. The guy had less of a chance than Ron Paul for crying out loud. He ended as Governor on a low note and was a terrible RNC chairman. Gilmore is not the conservative Virginia needs.