Thelma Drake

Infobox_Congressman
name = Thelma Drake


date of birth = birth date and age|1949|11|20
place of birth = Elyria, Ohio
state = Virginia
district = 2nd
term_start = January 3 2005
preceded = Ed Schrock
party = Republican
spouse = Ted Drake
religion = United Church of Christ
occupation= realtor
alma_mater= HS diploma
residence= East Ocean View, Virginia

Thelma D. Drake (born November 20 1949 in Elyria, Ohio) is a member of the Republican party from the state of Virginia. She was elected to the United States House of Representatives in November 2004 to represent ushr|Virginia|2.

Thelma Drake grew up in Ohio and graduate Elyria High School. She moved to Virginia to attend Old Dominion University, but did not graduate. She instead worked as a real estate agent in Norfolk, Virginia.

Drake is married and has two adult children. She and her second husband attend Bayview United Church of Christ and reside in the Hampton Roads area.

Career in the House of Delegates

Drake became the first Republican to be elected from the Norfolk area to the Virginia House of Delegates since Reconstruction when she was chosen by the voters in 1994. She served in the House of Delegates for nine years as a representative of the 87th District. Drake served as chairman of the Virginia Housing Commission and as a member of the Chesapeake Bay Commission.

Career in U.S. Congress

Drake is a staunch advocate of a federal prohibition of online poker. In 2006, she cosponsored H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act. [ [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.04777: Thomas (Library of Congress): HR 4777] ]

Election and re-elections

Drake was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives of the 109th United States Congress in November 2004. She entered the race after incumbent Republican congressman, Ed Schrock, dropped out of the race on August 30, 2004, after supposedly soliciting sex from men via a gay telephone dating service. She defeated Democrat David Ashe 55%-45% in the general election becoming the third woman to represent Virginia in Congress after Leslie Byrne and Jo Ann Davis.

In 2006, Drake defeated Democrat Phillip Kellam 51% to 49%. Kellam, a Democratic officeholder in Virginia Beach, Virginia, currently serves as its Commissioner of Revenue.

Drake's opponent in the 2008 election is Democrat Glenn Nye.

Electoral history

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"
+ ushr|Virginia|2|: Results 2004–2006cite web |url=http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html |title=Election Statistics |accessdate=2008-01-10 |publisher=Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives ] !|Year!!|Democrat!|Votes!|Pct!!|Republican!|Votes!|Pct!
-
2004|
Party shading/Democratic |David B. Ashe
Party shading/Democratic align="right" |108,180
Party shading/Democratic |45%|
Party shading/Republican |nowrap|Thelma D. Drake
Party shading/Republican align="right" |132,946
Party shading/Republican |55%
|*
-
2006|
Party shading/Democratic |nowrap|Philip J. Kellam
Party shading/Democratic align="right" |83,901
Party shading/Democratic |48%|
Party shading/Republican |Thelma D. Drake
Party shading/Republican align="right" |88,777
Party shading/Republican |51%
|*
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 2004, write-ins received 254 votes. In 2006, write-ins received 481 votes.

ee also

*United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia, 2008
*Virginia's 2nd congressional district

References

External links

* [http://drake.house.gov/ Congresswoman Thelma Drake] - official U.S. House site
* [http://www.thelmadrake.com/ Thelma Drake for Congress] - official campaign website
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Thelma_Drake Profile] at SourceWatch Congresspedia
* [http://dela.state.va.us/dela/membios.nsf/0/23d740961ff50fa6852565800075a4fa?opendocument Virginia House of Delegates, Session 2002 — Thelma D. Drake] biography