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Young headed to win; Stevens appears to survive |
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By Susan Crabtree
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Posted: 11/05/08 07:24 AM [ET] |
The fate of Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), the legendary appropriator and longest serving Republican in the Senate, may not be determined for 10 days when the state certifies the final tallies of absentee voters.
Early Wednesday morning Stevens held a slim, two-point lead against Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich in his bid for a seventh term. With 72 percent of the vote counted, Stevens had captured 48.42 percent of the vote to Begich’s 46.06, according to the Associated Press.
Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), the state's sole House member, appears to have survived a bruising night for House Republicans. He maintains a comfortable lead over his Democratic challenger, former state Rep. Ethan Berkowitz, capturing 51.49 percent to Berkowitz’s 43.97. Alaska’s independent candidate, Don Wright, grabbed 4.29.
Stevens, who spent the night with supporters at the Snow Goose Restaurant and Brewery, said he expected that the outcome might not be determined for days.
Victories by Stevens, 84, who last week was convicted of failing to report gifts on his financial disclosure forms, and Young, who suffered ethics challenges throughout his last term in Congress, could defy pre-election poll results.
Stevens is ahead by less than 5,000 votes and about 40,000 absentee ballots won’t be counted until the coming days. There are about 9,000 of 23,000 early ballots that also have yet to be counted.
Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) presence on the top of the ticket, along with his choice of popular Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, may have attracted more Republicans to the polls and helped save the seats of Young and possibly Stevens. Alaskan’s chose McCain over Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) for president by a 2 to 1 margin. |
