Alaska Senate Battle: Joe Miller, Lisa Murkowski Dig In for a Fight

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Incumbent Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski is sounding triumphant this week after her write-in re-election campaign in Alaska, but her Republican challenger Joe Miller isn't ready to give up the fight just yet.

"It's been a David and Goliath battle from the very start," Miller said on Fox and Friends this morning, noting that his campaign team will ensure that all the ballots are properly counted.

Murkowski is presumed to have the lead in the race, in which more than 83,000 write-in ballots were cast. It's unclear at this point how many of those ballots were cast for Murkowski , however. Additionally, Miller said this morning, he expects about 7 percent of the write-in ballots to be disqualified. The Democrat in the race, Scott McAdams, has conceded after coming in behind Miller and the write-in ballots. Officials will start tallying the write-in ballots on Wednesday.

On top of that, the state must count at least 37,800 absentee, early and questioned ballots. As an Army veteran, Miller says he believes he will do well among military absentee voters, and overseas absentee ballots have until Nov. 17 to arrive. (See current Alaska results here.)

With a potential legal battle brewing, both sides are amassing their resources. Murkowski's website urges visitors to "Help us protect Lisa's historic victory!"

"It's not over yet!" reads Miller's campaign website, soliciting donations to "fight for conservative votes."

Miller may also receive financial support from Republican Sen. Jim DeMint's political action committee, the Hill reports, to help with "what is expected to be a costly and drawn-out ballot-counting process." Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is also urging his supporters to donate to Miller.

The Miller campaign is already in a combative mode, questioning why the state will start counting the write-in ballots next week -- earlier than originally scheduled.

On a conference call Thursday, Politics Daily reports, Miller accused Alaska's lieutenant governor, Craig Campbell, of bias. Campbell will lead the vote-counting operation.

"He was appointed by Murkowski... has connections to the Murkowski family," Miller reportedly said on the call. "In fact, when he, last summer, spoke at the time Sean Parnell was sworn-in as governor, spent five or ten minutes praising the Murkowski Family. It was really kind of a curious thing given the lack of popularity at the time of Frank Murkowski."

[maniatisa]

How about the talk show host who asked people to deliberately come in, for a bribe, and file names similar to Lisa M, so that he could trick people into voting for Miller. What do they say about the Author of Confusion? Would that be God or ....the other guy?

[simpleconservative]

People are missing the main point here. Murkowski was defeated in a primary election running as a Republican. She has no scruples, no accomplishments and certainly no honor. She is part of the perpetual political unproductive class we would like to replace with citizen legislators who have actually lived in the representative territory and suffered real life as a citizen there. The criticism of Mr. Miller seems to be that he is actually an ordinary American citizen that has had his ups and downs because he has not been sucking on that giant government sow! I'll take him in a heartbeat over a girl who's Dad used nepotism to advance her worthless career!

[thoughtfool]

I remember GW Bush being "elected" instead, by a decision of the US Supreme Court, swung in his favor by his Fathers' appointee, with the Florida recount unfinished.

Why is that conservatives always change their tune to crying "victim", when faced with defeat by the same process?

[pasha128]

scone47; Then let the voices of all 203,000+ Alaskans be heard as ALL THE VOTES are counted.

[dodie7455]

I think Lisa M from Alaska is such a sore loser by right this was Joe Miller's to win she lost in the primary but for some reason she thinks it is her seat. I am not from Alaska but no matter if she wins I will always believe it was fraud as I do in the Harry Reid's election. That one I sometimes question because of Sharon Angle's ad. I believe that could be why he won the Hispanic's she critized without knowing which she should of. If she did not do that ad I truly believe she could of won NO ONE IN AMERICA LIKES HARRY REIDS POLICIES but he won huh One prayer was answer the gavel is now NOT IN NANCY PELOSI's LIBERAL LIBERAL DIRTY HANDS. Claim up the swamp she created most of the swamp herself. I heard she is running for minorty speaker PLEASE DON'T VOTE FOR HER IT WAS HER POLICIES ALSO THAT TOOK US DOWN TO THE GUTTER. The Dems will try to block everything the Reps do, so this way they can blame them for getting nothing done. FOR THE SAKE OF THE PEOPLE OF THIS GREAT LAND OF OURS LISTEN TO US, HEAR US, FIGHT FOR US, DO FOR US NOT FOR WHAT YOU THINK IS FOR THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE, LETS KEEP ON FIGHTING TO TAKE BACK OUR AMERICA. GOD BLESS AMERICA

[jxknowles]

Joe Miller did file for unemployment insurance benefits already. Just in case! His hypocrisy and lying know no bounds.