WASHINGTON — There’s suddenly a dogfight in the race for House majority leader after Tea Party favorite Raul Labrador of Idaho announced Friday he’s taking on front-runner Kevin McCarthy.

McCarthy (R-Calif.), the House Republican whip, started lining up support for the job almost immediately after Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor’s stunning defeat in his Virginia primary Tuesday night.

One challenger, Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas, quickly dropped out, and others, including Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas, decided not to get into the race.