Thelma Drake



Thelma D. Drake, a Republican, represented the Second Congressional District of Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives between 2004-2008. She lost her re-election bid to Glenn Nye, a Democrat, in 2008.

Abortion
Thelma Drake has a strong pro-life record and has voted consistantly on this position. She is not a supporter of stem cell research has has twice voted NO on furthering embryonic stem cell research (May 2005, Jan. 2007). In January of 2008, Drake voted to prohibit the transportation of minors across state lines for abortion. Prior to this, Drake voted in April of 2005 to restrict the interstate transportation of minors for abortions. Thelma Drake was rated 100% by the National Right to Life(NRLC)in December of 2006, which indicated her pro-life stance.


 * issues.org/VA/Thelma_Drake.htm/ Main article:On the issues

Immigration
Thelma Drake is a member of the Immigration Reform Caucus and has been since she arrived in congress. In September of 2006, she voted to build a fence along the Mexican border and was rated 100% by USBC in 2006 which indicates a sealed-border stance. * Thelma Drake introduced H.R. 2109, the Empowering Our Local Communities Act of 2007. This bill: (1) requires a mandatory 5-40 year prison sentence for any illegal alien who commits manslaughter while driving under the influence, (2) makes it a criminal misdemeanor to be illegally present in the U.S., (3) allows for the continuation and expansion of the institutional removal program, which is a program that helps identify removable criminal aliens in Federal and state correctional facilities so these aliens are not released into the community upon completion of their sentences, and (4) authorizes funding for a program, often referred to as the “287(g) program,” which provides training to state and local law enforcement to serve in a limited Federal immigration enforcement capacity. *

Iraq War
Thelma Drake has always strongly supported sending troops into Iraq. In 2006 she voted that Iraq should be part of our War on Terror and that we should have no set exit date. She has not wanted to remove troops from Iraq and voted "no" in June of 2008 on investigating Bush for lying about Iraq or pursuing an impeachment of President Bush. [www.ontheissues.org/VA/Thelma_Drake.htm] During an interview about her position on the Iraq war, Drake stated: "What I see as the greatest threat to America is that the American people will put political pressure on their leaders to pull out of Iraq before we should." Drake currently sits on a terrorism committee and two military committee's in the House of Representatives. 

Environmental record
For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal

Civil Rights
Thelma Drake is extremely conservative on social issues and civil rights issues. Drake strongly supports constitutionally defining marriage as between one man and one woman. She voted "yes" on this issue in July of 2007 and June of 2008. In December of 2006, the Human Rights Campaign rates Drake at 0% meaning that she has an anti-gay-rights stance. She was also rated 33% by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People meaning that she also has an anti-affirtmative-action stance. In November of 2007, Drake voted "no" on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation.



Bio
Drake was born November 20, 1949 in Elyria, Ohio. She has worked as a real estate agent in Norfolk, Virginia and was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly. In 2004, Drake defeated Democratic challenger David Ashe in an open race. She took her seat in the U.S. House of Representatives at the start of the 109th United States Congress on January 4, 2005.

2006 elections
In 2006, Democrats nominated Phil Kellam to face Drake in her November 2006 bid for reelection. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006)  Drake retained her seat.

Money in politics
cid=N00027281&cycle=2008

Committees

 * House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
 * Subcommittee on Highways, Transit and Pipelines
 * Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment
 * House Committee on Armed Services
 * Subommitee on Military Personnel
 * Subommitee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities

Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

 * House Committee on Armed Services
 * Subcommittee on Personnel
 * Subcommittee on Projection Forces
 * House Committee on Education and the Workforce
 * Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness
 * Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
 * House Committee on Resources
 * Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
 * Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation Wildlife and Oceans


 * Former member, Chesapeake Bay Commission

More Background Data

 * 2006 Virginia CD 2 Candidate List from VIS

Contact
DC Office: 1208 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-4215 Fax: 202-225-4218 Web Email Website

District Office- Accomac: Post Office Box 447 23386 Front Street Accomac, VA 23301 Phone: 757-787-7836 Fax: 757-787-9540

District Office- Virginia Beach: Post Office Box 62996 4772 Euclid Road, Suite E Virginia Beach, VA 23466 Phone: 757-497-6859 Fax: 757-497-5474

2008 Campaign Contact Information
Official Drake for Congress campaign website

Thelma Drake for Congress P.O. Box 61480 Virginia Beach, Virginia 23466

Phone: 757-497-2222 Fax: 757-497-4226

[mailto:thelma@thelmadrake.com thelma@thelmadrake.com]

External resources

 * Official website
 * Campaign website
 * Biography for Thelma Drake
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database
 * On the Issues

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Bearing Drift - Conservative Podcasts, News, and Opinion
 * VB Dems Blog
 * Vivian J. Paige - All Politics is Local