Thelma Drake

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Thelma Drake

United States Representative from Virginia's 2nd district
In office 2005 - present
Preceded by	Ed Schrock
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	November 20, 1949 Elyria, Ohio
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Ted Drake
Religion	United Church of Christ

Thelma D. Drake (b. November 20, 1949, 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 the Second Congressional District of Virginia ([1]).

Thelma Drake attended Elyria High School and Old Dominion University. She worked as a real estate agent in Norfolk, Virginia and was the first Republican to be elected from the Norfolk area to the Virginia House of Delegates since the Reconstruction. She served in the House of Delegates for nine years.

[edit] Election to Congress

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, announced on August 30, 2004, that he was leaving the race. She defeated Democrat David Ashe ([2]) 55%-45% in the general election ([3]).

[edit] 2006 Congressional Campaign

Main article: Virginia 2nd congressional district election, 2006

Drake defeated Democrat Phillip Kellam in the November congressional elections. Kellam, the only Democratic officeholder in Virginia Beach, Virginia, currently serves as its Commissioner of the Revenue. In late June, CQPolitics wrote that the race: "is more competitive than initially expected in the Republican-leaning 2nd. This, in turn, has spurred CQPolitics.com to change its rating to Leans Republican from Republican Favored" ([4]).

On June 29, 2006, electoral politics expert Larry Sabato, of the University of Virginia, moved this race onto his "Dirty Thirty" list of the thirty most competitive House races in the country ([5]), and in late July, the Washington Post rated it as a toss-up ([6]).

Drake won reelection over Kellam by a tight margin, 51% to 49%.