All Blog Posts from Horserace

Alaska Senator Ted Stevens conceded defeat in his Senate race against Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich after falling behind by 3,724 votes with just about 2,500 left to count in the state. Stevens released the following statement this afternoon:

Given the number of ballots that remain to be counted, it is apparent the election has been decided and Mayor Begich has been elected.

My family and I wish to thank the thousands of Alaskans who stood by us and who supported my re-election. It was a tough fight that would not have been possible without the help of so many Alaskans – people who I am honored to call my friends. I will always remember their thoughts, prayers, and encouragement.

I am proud of the campaign we ran and regret that the outcome was not what we had hoped for. I am deeply grateful to Alaskans for allowing me to serve them for 40 years in the U.S. Senate. It has been the greatest honor of my life to work with Alaskans of all political persuasions to make this state that we all love a better place.

I wish Mayor Begich and his family well. My staff and I stand willing to help him prepare for his new position.

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With the bulk of outstanding ballots expected to be counted by the end of the day in Alaska’s senate race, incumbent Ted Stevens has temporarily dodged at least one bullet. Senate Republicans have postponed a vote on whether Stevens should remain a member of the party’s Senate conference until the outcome of the race is known.

Stevens currently trails Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich by 1,022 votes with about 24,000 ballots left to count today. Stevens faces big obstacles even if he manages to mount a comeback. Found guilty of lying on his financial disclosure forms about gifts received from a oil company in Alaska, he could face expulsion from the Senate if he were to return.

Senator Jim DeMint had planned on introducing a motion asking fellow Republicans to throw him out of the Senate’s conference and many GOP Senators had already called fot his resignation before the election. DeMint said he will wait until the race is settled before moving forward, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

“After talking with many of my colleagues, it's clear there are sufficient votes to pass the resolution regarding Senator Stevens. The question now is timing," DeMint said. "Some who support the resolution believe we should address this after the results of his election are confirmed in Alaska. For this reason, I will ask the conference to postpone the vote on Senator Stevens until Thursday."

Comedian-turned-activist Al Franken will travel to Washington, DC Tuesday to meet with Democratic Senate leaders as he awaits the outcome of a mandatory recount in his bid to unseat Senator Norm Coleman who currently holds a 206-vote lead pending the results. Coleman spokesman Mark Drake told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that is “highly presumptuous for Mr. Franken to undertake such a visit when his real purpose appears to be fundraising and gaining partisan advantage from non-Minnesotans.”

Franken spokesperson Colleen Murray said Franken, who is skipping an orientation session, is only trying hit the ground running should he prevail. “If he should win this election, it would be irresponsible for him not to get ready to take office,” Murray said. “Minnesota deserves a senator who is ready to take office on Day One.”

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There are three U.S. Senate races still to be decided, including one in Minnesota which is heading to a mandatory recount and one in Georgia heading to a runoff election. The final race, the one between Alaska Senator Ted Stevens and Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich could go a long way to being decided today as officials expect to finish counting some 90,000 remaining early, absentee or questioned ballots.

The state’s election official, Gail Fenumiai, says that because of the size of the state and the remote areas involved, it’s not unusual for the count to last a week after the election. But officials say they are being more cautious in checking votes as they discovered over two dozen cases in the August primary where voters cast two ballots – one absentee and another at the polls. Stevens, who was found guilty of lying to prosecutors just a week before the election, currently leads Begich by 3,257 votes.

The attention last night was on Hillary Clinton's win over Barack Obama in the Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, but that was not the only contest to be decided. Voters across the state also voted in primaries for House candidates to run in the fall.

Of the state's 19 congressional districts, there were competitive primaries in four. The most competitive was the Republican primary in District 10, where businessman Chris Hackett beat businessman Dan Meuser 52 percent to 48 percent.

Hackett won in the Northeastern Pennsylvania district despite being heavily outspent by Meuser. Both candidates used their personal wealth in the campaign, totaling $2.6 million.

Hackett will face freshmen Democratic Rep. Chris Carney in November. In 2006, Carney was the first Democrat in four decades elected to Congress from the district when he beat scandal-ridden former Rep. Don Sherwood. Republicans will now be counting on Hackett to put the seat back in the Republican column.

Elsewhere in the state, Centre County GOP chairman Glenn Thompson won a nine-way race for the Republican nomination in the state's 5th district in Central Pennsylvania with 19 percent of the vote. Thompson will face off against Democratic primary winner Clearfield County Commissioner Mark McCracken. Thompson will be heavily favored in the race to succeed retiring Republican Rep. John Peterson.

Also, businessman Steve O'Donnell won the Democratic primary in the 18th district outside Pittsburgh for the chance to run against Republican Rep. Tim Murphy. And Democrat Kathy Dahlkemper, the director of the Lake Erie Arboretum, won the right to challenge Republican Rep. Phil English in the 3rd district in northwest Pennsylvania.

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The attention last night was on Hillary Clinton's win over Barack Obama in the Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, but that was not the only contest to be decided. Voters across the state also voted in primaries for House candidates to run in the fall.

Of the state's 19 congressional districts, there were competitive primaries in four. The most competitive was the Republican primary in District 10, where businessman Chris Hackett beat businessman Dan Meuser 52 percent to 48 percent.

Hackett won in the Northeastern Pennsylvania district despite being heavily outspent by Meuser. Both candidates used their personal wealth in the campaign, totaling $2.6 million.

Hackett will face freshmen Democratic Rep. Chris Carney in November. In 2006, Carney was the first Democrat in four decades elected to Congress from the district when he beat scandal-ridden former Rep. Don Sherwood. Republicans will now be counting on Hackett to put the seat back in the Republican column.

Elsewhere in the state, Centre County GOP chairman Glenn Thompson won a nine-way race for the Republican nomination in the state's 5th district in Central Pennsylvania with 19 percent of the vote. Thompson will face off against Democratic primary winner Clearfield County Commissioner Mark McCracken. Thompson will be heavily favored in the race to succeed retiring Republican Rep. John Peterson.

Also, businessman Steve O'Donnell won the Democratic primary in the 18th district outside Pittsburgh for the chance to run against Republican Rep. Tim Murphy. And Democrat Kathy Dahlkemper, the director of the Lake Erie Arboretum, won the right to challenge Republican Rep. Phil English in the 3rd district in northwest Pennsylvania.

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