Stevens Concedes Alaska Senate Race

Senator, Convicted Of Corruption Last Month, Lost Close Race To Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich

(CBS/AP)  Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens conceded defeat Wednesday in a re-election bid shadowed by his federal felony conviction, a bitter end to a four-decade career in which he held a commanding place in state politics and on some of the most influential congressional committees in Washington.

In an eight-sentence statement, the longest serving Republican in Senate history said not enough ballots remain uncounted for him to catch Democrat Mark Begich, who holds a 3,724-vote lead out of about 315,000 ballots cast.

Stevens was attempting to become the first felon to be elected to the Senate. He was convicted last month by a federal jury in Washington, D.C., of lying on Senate disclosure forms to conceal more than $250,000 in gifts and home renovations from an oil field services company.

Stevens said Tuesday that he will not ask President Bush to give him a pardon for his seven felony convictions.

Stevens never directly mentioned his legal ordeal Wednesday but thanked "the thousands of Alaskans who stood by us."

"I am proud of the campaign we ran and regret that the outcome was not what we had hoped for," Stevens said. "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."

The votes that gave Begich a winning margin were tallied on Tuesday, Stevens' 85th birthday.

The senator's statement was released just minutes after Begich, 46, the two-term Anchorage mayor, met with reporters and said he had not heard from Stevens. Begich said he had received congratulations from other leading Republicans, including Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

A smiling Begich described his election as a fundamental shift in the Alaska political landscape long dominated by Republicans. But he also made clear he was not a conventional Washington Democrat, citing his support for gun rights and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in the state's northern reaches.

"Anybody who knows me knows that I'm a different Democrat — I'm from Alaska," he said. Along with firearm rights and drilling, "Alaskans are very libertarian in issues where the government shouldn't interfere in their personal lives."

He said he was "definitely different than a New York Democrat."

Stevens' defeat moves Senate Democrats closer to the 60-vote majority needed to end a delaying tactic known as a filibuster used to obstruct passage of legislation.

Democrats hold 58 seats, when two independents who align with Democrats are included, with undecided races in Minnesota and Georgia where two Republicans are trying to hang onto their seats.

With this win, Democrats have picked up seven Senate seats in the Nov. 4 election.

Stevens' ouster marks an abrupt realignment in Alaska politics and will alter the power structure in the Senate, where he has served since the days of the President Lyndon B. Johnson's administration, holding seats on some of the most influential committees in Congress.

The crotchety octogenarian occupies an outsized place in Alaska history. His involvement in politics dates to the days before Alaska statehood, and he is esteemed for his ability to secure billions of dollars in federal aid for transportation and military projects. in the state. The Anchorage airport bears his name; in Alaska, it's simply ``Uncle Ted.''

With Stevens gone "it's a big gap in dollars - billions of dollars - that none of the other members of the delegation, Begich, whoever, could fill," said Gerald McBeath, chair of the political science department at University of Alaska Fairbanks. "There is no immediate replacement for him."

Begich will be the first Democrat to represent Alaska in the Senate in nearly 30 years. He is the son of Nick Begich, Alaska's third congressman, who died in a plane crash 1972 while running for re-election.

[tigerrram9]

indianaman13 is very much correct, How can a state so rich in natural resources and low in population get so many billions of dollars? Has any money gone to help and better the lives of th the real Alaska resident, the eskimos. Or has it gone to rich oil companies or bogus research? What happened to the money earmarked for the bridge to nowhere? What did Sarah Palin do with the money? I believe that with all the money they have sent to Alaska, they could have already rebuilt New Orleans. Sarah we are going to be watching to see how much money you ask for. You said in the campaign that you were agains earmarks, so you better not ask for any.

[libsh8theusa]

Other states need to take a lesson from Alaska..

Ted Stevens I hope you have a rotten life.. To bad it won''t be in prison with bubba..

[indianaman13]

How can a comedian not in office be an extremist when business extremists(anti-labor force & against the common mans interests) and people who have no concern for the planet, or a future for the rest of us, are so extreme with their actions to destroy the worlds environment, how are they not worshipers of the devil? Extremists for Satan in you will. If you think about it, God created this world and our lives, look at these government officials and how they work to destroy the earth and our lives with their financial ploys and games with paper.

[indianaman13]

Why is this one senator able to get billions for a state rich in natural resources yet poor in populations numbers, but this democrat won''t be able to get money? What does that say about the state of politics in America when you get aid based on who you are and not what you need. This is what is fundamentally wrong with this country. The Good ol'' boy society only promotes its very limited member list and *** the rest of the country. American was founded with the words "All men are created equal", any inequalities in how men are treated are created by men, and need to be removed. When this country promotes morality, integrity, and decency in all of its departments and facets, then this country will be a model and an example for the world to follow. Real leaders lead by example and the whole of America needs to stand up and demand more from our leaders to be the best humans, the best Americans they can be.

[shanev137]

The fact this guy almost won is really shocking.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

[earache4]

Alaskan politicians: Garbage in, garbage out....

[hitoyou1]

GOOD. The law should be that he shoukd have not been able to run. The CROOK.

[pirmin3]

"I agree, what has happened to our country is nothing less than treason. "

Time for a military coup since the administration and both parties in Congress are totally corrupt.

[babooph]

His wife must have told him he lost-too bad she never mentioned all that money for all those years !

[tmn]

I too wonder how the supposedly decent citizens of Alaska can justify voting for a convicted felon, regardless of party affiliation. I''d be ashamed of living in a state like that!

[clathrate]

the fact that the repub hard core idiots identify with the idiot palin tells me that dems should not be afraid of pushing what progressives think correct-full steam ahead, and f--- the stupid rel bigots and gay haters


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Posted by sickofpalin

Amen. It''s time to stop cowtowing to the lunatics. We have allowed the morons to run the show for far too long. Drastic measures MUST be taken to reverse the damage.

[clathrate]

Goodbye to worthless garbage.

Maybe now he''ll have time to uncover the mystery of why the internet is a series of tubes.

[briannorwood]

What I find amazing is that almost half of Alaskans were willing to vote for a convicted felon to represent their state in the U.S. Senate.

I mean, commmmmmmon!

[marcosis78]

Another one bites the dust.

[clovisbuford]

We NEED 60 votes in the Senate so the fascist Government of Pigs (GOP) can''''t continue the Bush McCain crime spree.
Give help to Jim Martin in Georgia who is still campaigning for a December 2nd election. martinforsenate.com err I am a democrat and we are not a monol;ith ..the 60 figure helps for procedural matters but on actual votes its pointless .. senators have to represent their districts or should ..we have dem senators that wont vote the party line on issues jsut as you have republicans that wont ..susan collins , oilympia snow etc.. is less concerned about super majorities and an actuial senate and house that functions in their constituents and the countries best interest .. now saxby chambliss is a joke .. he ran a campaign morphing hiss war veteran opponent max cleland who lost 3 limbs into osama bin laden ,,then said ahh what the hell its just politics .. while he never served,taking deferrments..n ..nothing untruthful or just wrong about that one .. republicans who dont serve :have better thigns to do" democrats who have served ..it doesnt count .

[clovisbuford]

Stevens is out. Now how about ousting Congressman William Jefferson from the state of LA for accepting a $100,000 bribe from a foreign gov''''t in return for favorable legislation. You people remember him. The FBI found $90,000 of the money in his freezer at home. Let''''s clean house and start Obama out on a clean slate.
Posted by JackP32 at 02:42 PM : Nov 19, 2008 yanno I am a dem and i totatlly agree the deal is is His voters returned him to office . the dem party actually financed an opponent against him in the primary stripped him of power , and the voters in his district still voted for him .. if he gets convicted hopefully that takes care of him .. corrupt is corrupt..good riddance

[noloyalisti]

Palin is like Bushoccio, when you are that ignorant and arrogant, you actually don''t care that everyone thinks you are en extremist, clueless moron. Go for McSame, he helped sink the GOP ship. Forever, I hope.

[sickofpalin]

the fact that the repub hard core idiots identify with the idiot palin tells me that dems should not be afraid of pushing what progressives think correct-full steam ahead, and f--- the stupid rel bigots and gay haters

[sickofpalin]

if the idiot palin choked on a prezel during the RGC last week,would anyone attempt to help her???

or just let events play out??

i bet i know the answer