Virginia's 2nd congressional district election, 2008

The Virginia 2nd congressional district election, 2008 is scheduled for November 4, 2008, the same day as the United States presidential election, 2008.

The ushr|Virginia|2|2nd District includes Virginia Beach, nearby urban areas and the Eastern Shore. "CQ Politics" rates the seat "Republican favored".cite web |url=http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=ratings-house |title=Balance of Power Scorecard: House |work=CQ Politics |accessdate=2008-05-18 Note, the percentages are incorrectly rounded.] The "Cook Political Report" rates it "Lean Republican".cite web |url=http://www.cookpolitical.com/races/house/chart.php |title=2008 Competitive House Race Chart |publisher=Cook Political Report |accessdate=2008-05-18 ] The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee names Drake as one of three "targeted Republican" U.S. House incumbents in Virginia.cite web |url=http://dccc.org/page/content/races_south |title=2008 Races
publisher=Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee |accessdate=2008-05-18 ]

Candidates

Republican

Incumbent Thelma Drake is the nominee of the Republican Party.

Democratic

Diplomat Glenn Nye is the nominee of the Democratic Party. Infobox Congressional Candidate
honorific-prefix =
name = Glenn Nye
honorific-suffix =


state = Virginia
nominee = U.S. Representative for Virginia, 2nd District
incumbent = Thelma Drake
opponent = Thelma Drake (R)
election_date = November 4, 2008
party = Democratic
date of birth=
place of birth = Norfolk, Virginia
date of death=
place of death=
alma_mater = Georgetown University
profession = former Foreign Service officer
spouse =
residence =
religion =
website = [http://www.glennnye.com/ www.glennnye.com/]

Nye is a fifth-generation resident of the Second District. He grew up in Norfolk and graduated from high school at Norfolk Academy. A graduate of the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., he volunteered on medical education missions to the Middle East while in college. He began his foreign service career focusing on economic development in war-torn Eastern Europe while working for the U.S. Director at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Nye joined the U.S. State Department in 2001, where he served in Kosovo and Macedonia as a member of the Foreign Service. During his time there, he helped secure the release of U.S. hostages which earned him the State Department’s Superior Honor Award. Nye was then posted to the U.S. Embassy in Singapore, where he helped protect U.S. intellectual property rights during the negotiation of the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement. From there he volunteered to go to Afghanistan, spending almost a year as part of a U.S. government sponsored team managing the historic Afghan Constitution Commission and supporting the country's first Presidential election. He also managed a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) community development program in the West Bank and Gaza. He served as Operations Director in the Middle East by registering eligible voters in major U.S. cities for Iraq's Transitional National Assembly election. In Iraq, Nye led operations to create jobs for Iraqis as part of the counter-insurgency effort. After returning to Virginia, he advised a USAID program working closely with military colleagues to stabilize Iraqi neighborhoods by creating employment for over 70,000 Iraqis.Greg Giroux, [http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000002673983 Frustrated By U.S. Policy, Foreign Service Veteran Challenges Virginia GOP Incumbent] "Congressional Quarterly", February 21, 2008] [ [http://www.glennnye.com/ Glenn Nye for U.S. Congress] ]

Nye has worked to bring stability and economic development to struggling new democracies. In an interview with CQ Politics, Nye explained why he decided to run for Congress: "There is only so much one can do on the executing end of foreign policy in terms of advancing American interests, and there’s only so much you can do to influence the policy from the outside. I was frustrated with the course of the country, and I was prepared to offer my service to try to bring some expertise into the Congress that I think the Congress is lacking."Nye and Drake have clashed over energy policy. Drake supports new drilling in Alaska and along the continental shelf off the East Coast. Nye states that oil companies can and should expand existing oil fields which are now economically feasible to exploit. [Mike Gooding, [http://www.wvec.com/news/topstories/stories/wvec_top_070708_drake-nye.32360065.html Drake, Nye clash over energy policy] "WVEC.com", July 7, 2008]

Nye's donations from national Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland and Representative Charles Rangel of New York, reflects the interest of the party in his race and the likelihood he will be given more money. [Aaron Applegate, [http://hamptonroads.com/2008/07/beachs-2nd-district-race-shapes-be-competitive Beach's 2nd District race shapes up to be competitive] "The Virginian-Pilot", July 28, 2008]

District electoral history

* 2004 Congressional race: Drake first won this seat, by 55%, after incumbent Republican Ed Schrock retired.

* 2004 Presidential race: George W. Bush won the district with 57% to 42% for John Kerry.

* 2005 Gubernatorial race: Democrat Tim Kaine won the district by 50% to 47% in his victory.cite web |url=http://www2.sbe.virginia.gov/web_docs/Election/results/2005/nov2005/html/d_03.htm |title=General Election- November 8, 2005 |publisher=Virginia State Board of Elections |accessdate=2008-05-18 Official gubernatorial results by congressional district.]

* 2006 Congressional race: Drake survived a bid from Democrat Phil Kellam by only 51.3% to 48.5% .cite web |url=http://www2.sbe.virginia.gov/web_docs/Election/results/2006/Nov/htm/index.htm |title=General Election- November 6, 2006 |publisher=Virginia State Board of Elections |accessdate=2008-05-18 Official results.] Drake may have been hurt by the U.S. Senatorial race of the same year.

* 2006 U.S. Senatorial race: The downfall of Republican U.S. Senator George Allen came as he narrowly lost to Democrat Jim Webb, an ex-Republican and former Navy Secretary under Ronald Reagan. Allen carried the district 51%–48%.cite web |url=http://www2.sbe.virginia.gov/web_docs/Election/results/2006/Nov/htm/d_02.htm |title=General Election- November 8, 2005 |publisher=Virginia State Board of Elections |accessdate=2008-05-18 Official senatorial results by congressional district.]

ee also

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

References

External links

* [http://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary.php?id=VA02&cycle=2008 Campaign contributions] from OpenSecrets.org
*dmoz|Regional/North_America/United_States/Virginia/Society_and_Culture/Politics/Candidates_and_Campaigns/US_House/Congressional_District_02

;Thelma Drake
* [http://www.thelmadrake.com/ Thelma Drake for Congress] official campaign website;Glenn Nye
* [http://www.glennnye.com/ Glenn Nye for U.S. Congress] official campaign website
* [http://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary.php?id=VA02&cycle=2008 Campaign contributions] from OpenSecrets.org
*dmoz|Regional/North_America/United_States/Virginia/Society_and_Culture/Politics/Candidates_and_Campaigns/US_House/Congressional_District_02/Glenn_Nye_%5bD%5d|Glenn Nye