After a battle that lasted well into Wednesday morning, former foreign service officer Glenn Nye (D) has been declared the winner in Virginia’s battleground 2nd district.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Nye held a 52 to 48 lead over Rep. Thelma Drake (R) in the Hampton Roads-based district.

Drake had been a target of national Democrats ever since she narrowly defeated a local city official in the 2006 election. Drake tied her campaign closely to Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) presidential campaign while Nye and national Democrats had worked to paint her as a cheerleader of President Bush during her time in Congress.

In a heavily military district, Nye’s time spent in the Middle East resonated with voters.