Background
Thelma Drake was born in Elyria, Ohio. She grew up in Ohio and attended Elyria High School.
Thelma Drake was born in Elyria, Ohio. She grew up in Ohio and attended Elyria High School.
She later attended Old Dominion University, but did not graduate.
She was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in November 2004 to represent Virginia"s 2nd congressional district. She was defeated by Democrat Glenn Nye in 2008. In 1995 Drake became the second Republican to be elected from the Norfolk area to the Virginia House of Delegates since Reconstruction.
She served in the House of Delegates for nine years representing the 87th District.
Election history
In 2004, Drake was elected to the United States. House of Representatives of the 109th United States Congress. She entered the race after incumbent Republican congressman Editor Schrock dropped out on August 30, 2004, after being caught on tape soliciting sex from a gay prostitute.
Drake 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.
Her former staffers include Carrie Melvin Domnitch, Jordan Davis, Tyler Brown, Mike Cosio, Dena Kozanas, Kate MacGregor and Jeff Scott. Nye received the endorsement of The Virginian-Pilot, which endorsed Drake in 2006. The Virginian-Pilot editors stated that Drake had been ineffective in Congress.
*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 2004, write-ins received 254 votes.
In 2006, write-ins received 481 votes. In 2008, write-ins received 368 votes.
Drake served as chairman of the Virginia Housing Commission and as a member of the Chesapeake Bay Commission.