12 October 2007

Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District

Norfolk, Hampton and Virginia Beach, Virginia

Population: 643,510. The majority of the residents are white, but African Americans represent about 20 percent of the population. (2000 U.S. Census)

Geography: Much of the Virginia 2nd is along the Atlantic coastline and includes rural and urban populations. The largest cities are Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

Major industries: Military, shipping, tourism and agriculture. The Port of Virginia, located in Norfolk, is one of the busiest ports on the East Coast.

Congressional Leaders: Representative Thelma Drake, a second-term Republican. Senators James Webb, a first-term Democrat, and John Warner, a fifth-term Republican.

Political History: Drake, who has served since 2004, won her 2006 re-election by less than 5,000 votes. Fifty-eight percent of voters picked President Bush in 2004. Not only was Drake’s election close in 2006, but the Virginia Senate race between George Allen and Webb was very tight. Webb’s victory gave Democrats the majority in the 110th Congress. An equally close Senate race could happen again in 2008, as longtime Senator John Warner has announced his retirement. Former Democratic Virginia Governor Mark Warner is running, and well-known Republicans in Virginia will likely run as well.  Although Virginia traditionally has been predominantly Republican, recent years have seen a shift, and many political experts are expecting the presidential race to be a close one as well.

Key issues: According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Virginia 2nd has the largest concentration of active-duty military personnel in the United States. Because so many voters have a personal interest in military affairs, Iraq and national security are expected to be a big part of federal and local campaigns. Drake, who visited Iraq in August, has said the surge is working, while groups that disagree have started running television ad campaigns in the district arguing the opposite. Illegal immigration is an important issue to many voters, in part because of the March death of two teenage girls in Virginia Beach, killed by a drunk driver who was an illegal immigrant with a criminal record. The case launched a local and national debate about immigration laws.

Interesting fact: Many U.S. military bases are located in the Virginia 2nd.  The U.S. Navy’s Atlantic Fleet, the U.S. Joint Forces Command, the Air Combat Command of the U.S. Air Force, the Training and Doctrine Command of the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps Atlantic Forces and NATO’s Atlantic Command for Transformation are in the district.

Local newspapers: The Virginian-Pilot and the Newport News Daily Press

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)