Nye was then posted to the U.S. Embassy in Singapore, where he helped protect U.S. intellectual property rights during the negotiation of the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement. From there he volunteered to go to Afghanistan, spending almost a year as part of a U.S. government sponsored team managing the historic Afghan Constitution Commission and supporting the country's first presidential election.
He also managed a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) community development program in the West Bank and Gaza. He served as Operations Director in the Middle East by registering eligible voters in major U.S. cities for Iraq's Transitional National Assembly election. In Iraq, Nye led operations to create jobs for Iraqis as part of the counter-insurgency effort. After returning to Virginia, he advised a USAID program working closely with military colleagues to stabilize Iraqi neighborhoods by creating employment for over 70,000 Iraqis.[7][8]
In an interview with CQ Politics, Nye explained why he decided to run for Congress: "There is only so much one can do on the executing end of foreign policy in terms of advancing American interests, and there's only so much you can do to influence the policy from the outside. I was frustrated with the course of the country, and I was prepared to offer my service to try to bring some expertise into the Congress that I think the Congress is lacking."[7]
Nye and Drake had clashed over energy policy. Drake supported new drilling in Alaska and along the continental shelf off the East Coast. Nye stated that oil companies can and should expand existing oil fields which are now economically feasible to exploit.[9]
Nye won the Democratic nomination for the 2nd District and faced Thelma Drake in the November election. Nye's donations from national Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland and Representative Charles Rangel of New York, reflected the interest of the party in his race.[10] Although they endorsed his opponent in 2006, Nye was endorsed by The Virginian-Pilot in 2008.[11]
In the November election, Nye defeated Drake with 52 percent of the vote. The 2nd District saw a Democratic Party sweep in 2008, with both Barack Obama and Mark Warner winning the district in the Presidential and Senate races, respectively.
Nye was defeated by Republican nominee Scott Rigell, a businessman and automobile dealer. Independent Kenny Golden, a retired NavyCaptain, was also on the ballot.[12]
Tenure
Soon after being sworn in, Nye joined the Blue Dog Coalition, a caucus of conservative Democrats.[13]
Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 2008, write-ins received 368 votes. In 2010, write-ins received 100 votes.
Career after Congress
In March 2011 Glenn Nye accepted a position at the German Marshall Fund where he helped facilitate communications between the United States and Europe.[23]
In September 2011 Glenn Nye joined the Hanover Investment Group as the Senior Political Advisor.[24]
In December 2013, Glenn Nye became a trustee at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress (CSPC), a non-partisan, non-profit Washington, D.C., think tank.[25] In August 2017, Glenn Nye was named president and CEO of CSPC.[2]
