Nye takes Drake’s seat in Congress
Democratic Congressman-elect Glenn Nye began assembling a staff yesterday after Rep. Thelma Drake, R-2nd, conceded in the district in and around Virginia Beach.
Meantime, in the 5th Congressional District in Southside, Democratic challenger Tom Perriello claimed victory, but longtime incumbent Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr. said he was not giving up.
"With the votes in and the extensive bipartisan canvass process effectively complete, the results are clear: Virginians want change in Washington to get this economy turned around," Perriello said in a statement.
Democrats already have picked up a seat in Northern Virginia, where Gerald E. Connolly, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, will succeed retiring Rep. Thomas M. Davis III, R-11th.
If Perriello prevails, Democrats will hold six of the state's 11 congressional seats, up from three. Democrats have not held a majority of the delegation's seats since the early 1990s.
Drake, the 2nd District congresswoman since 2004, called Nye late Thursday night and conceded after the counting of absentee ballots showed she could not win. Nye gained votes during the count of the 28,000 absentee ballots.
Nye, 34, a former Foreign Service officer, said he will seek a post on the House Armed Services Committee, which is important in the military-heavy 2nd district. Drake served on that committee.
Nye said Drake's concession was gracious. She said she would help him transition into the congressional office, he said.
"Our first priority will be trying to get America's economy back on track," he said.
In upsetting Drake, the Democrat outperformed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in the district which includes the Eastern Shore, all of Virginia Beach and parts of Norfolk and Hampton.
Nye won by 12,402 votes. Obama carried the district by 560 votes out of 247,000 cast.
Goode, trailing Perriello in the 5th by 745 votes, said vote counting irregularities since election night "have cast doubt on the reported totals."
Almost 20 percent of the voting precincts in the district had reporting errors, he said.
"We will continue to fight to make sure that every single legitimate vote in the 5th District is accurately counted and reported," the Republican said.
The vote count changed several times yesterday.
Goode is likely to seek a recount once the State Board of Elections completes the official canvass on Nov. 24.
Recounts rarely change the outcome. In 2005 there was a recount in the attorney general's race between Republican Bob McDonnell and Democrat R. Creigh Deeds. McDonnell had a lead of about 1,000 votes on election night. By the canvass that lead had dwindled to 323 votes. McDonnell picked up 37 votes during the official recount, which is presided over by a court. McDonnell is now attorney general.
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