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Alaska: Don Young wins; Ted Stevens is now losing

By: Mark Kilmer (Diary)  |  November 13th, 2008 at 01:16 PM  | 

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Alaska Congressman Don Young has won his reelection fight against Democrat Ethan Berkowitz. That’s one less for Nancy’s majority, but at this point, it doesn’t matter a whit. At least the seat stays Republican and, with an entrenched Governor Sarah Palin, Alaska Republicans can find a candidate to primary him in two years.

Ted Stevens is not faring so well in his battle to retain his Senate seat, falling behind Democrat Paul Begich. If Stevens can pull this out, his recent felony convictions will disqualify him from serving and he will be replaced by Republican Governor Palin.

Are eyes are still on Alaska.

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  • eburke

    on Alaska politics – there are 25,000 absentee ballots left to be counted. Only 7,700 of them are from Anchorage. I would think that would lean Begich… or not?

    The other areas with significant #s out are in the Juneau area, the Wasilla area, and up north in the sparsely populated areas. How would you assess Steven’s strength or lack thereof in those areas?

    Thanks!

    • Achance

      Juneau tilts Begich, hard to say about The Bush, Stevens is popular and well-known out there and usually carries every precinct. This year’s different.

      • NoKoolAidForMe

        I wouldn’t kiss the seat good bye just yet. Stevens might lose, and that would settle it. Howver, if he wins, the Senate needs to oust him. This may not be as easy as it seems, as Stevens has been in the Senate for an awfully long time and has pickled up friends on both sides. The Democratic Senator from Hawaii even testified for him as a character witness. Even should the Senate give him the boot, Palin appoints his replacement for 90 days. This would likely be her lieutenant governor, Sean Parnell, whom she supported to take Don Young’s seat in the primaries. Parnell would then likely face Begich in the special election. If a damaged Stevens pulled out such a squeaker, my money is that Parnell gets all of his votes and then some from the Republicans who were disgusted by Uncle Ted. Being the “incumbent” would also give whoever fills the seat some points as well.

        • Achance

          He’s been Senator longer than most Alaskans have been alive or in the State. Nobody else could do that with an indictment hanging over their head.

          I like Sean Parnell, used to work for him, but he AIN’T Ted Stevens; he’s just another guy with an R behind his name and Sarah Palin didn’t have the coat tails to pull him into the House. Palin herself is the only R who’s better than 50-50 on a Statewide office right now. With two more Legislative sessions in her term and the price of oil way below projections, she’s got her work cut out for her just remaining Gov in ’10. I guess if I had to place a wager, I’d bet that she takes on Lisa Murkowski in ’10 and lets the chips fall where they may with the State offices. It’s usually all about Sarah.

          • Mark_Kilmer

            I admire the non-nonsense attitude of voters who will take action when Governor Frank appoints his daughter to fill his Senate seat.

            I’d supposed Palin would have replaced Stevens with Parnell, but maybe not so much if he wants a bright future and this really is the dead end race which you so plausibly describe.

            Your Alaskan insight has been invaluable, Achance.

          • its_a_right_wing_thing

            not to mention that of all the states, it was Alaska that just changed its bylaws after Frank Murkowski, the former Gov. and predessor to Sarah Palin named his daughter, Lisa as his replacement. This angered Alaskans who wouldn’t want to see a similar abuse of power again.

            What Palin needs to do is appoint a young, CONSERVATIVE person to fill this seat should hell freeze over and the Republicans actually keep this seat-not likely

            this yong person would give the GOP another “rising star” that we can rally around as we continue to move away from so-called Moderates who didn’t get us anywhere in the 2008 election. We need to go back to basics (the base)

  • dld1717

    Stevens lost all 4 areas of the state where the military is stationed which shocked me.

    The Bush area was tilting to Begich on election day

  • SteveLA

    Uncle Ted is bad news, and a convicted but not sentenced crook.

    I’m having a hard time getting worked up about his loosing…I know that’s bad, but corruption really p&&&es me off and Uncle Ted had his day in court.

  • dld1717

    It puts us down another and we have more Senate seats up for us in 2010 and we have no idea what future holds so we need all seats we can get.

    Plus, 6 years is long time. Begich will be a reliable Dem vote and then in 5 years he will suddenly vote more centrist as they say. Landrieu does same thing; just watch her vote with Dems a lot now

    • Achance

      on failing to report something on an ethics disclosure form. You could convict any white Republican officeholder of ANYTHING before a DC jury.

      There’s a reason the Public Integrity Section chose the charges they did; they could bring them before a DC jury. They can’t find the evidence to bring charges on all the sexy stuff they really want or they’d have done it. This is just a pissed off prosecutor charge; the old “I’ll get you for something” act by Brenda Morris. Google her.

      I’m no Stevens fan, never have been, though I’ll defend him here from people who don’t have a clue what they’re talking about. My beef with him goes all the way back to ’80 when “get along, go along” Ted went along with the Democrats and gave us ANILCA. That said, I really can see how he thought he’d paid all the bills on the Girdwood house. Stevens is a lot of things but dumb isn’t one of them. He knew the Veco guys were radioactive, so he’d be careful.

      • Chief_Runamok

        You guys need to get some more information about the bad apples in the party that cause would be honorable men like Stevens to come under the kind of scrutiny that he is now enduring.

        By the way, I have never voted for a Democrat, ans did vote republican in the last senatorial race I voted in.

        Learn a little more at the Juneau Empire Archives about the whole Art Chance thing.

        Learn more about his corrupt conspiring buddies across the table in the AFSCME Local 52. This is leper list materia,

        Or well maybe not,but it’s your barrel of apples.

  • Rod_Patrick

    If Stevens can pull this out, his recent felony convictions will disqualify him from serving and he will be replaced by Republican Governor Palin.

    I think it’s best for Sarah to stay as Governor of Alaska even if Stevens wins as Senator.

    History tells us that the people are urforgiving to Governors to appointed themselves as US Senator due to vacancy. Americans find it “out of class”.

    Sarah can do much wonder to the people of Alaska and to her career by staying as Governor. Let Sarah reinvent herself as one of the country’s finest Governors.

    That’s her key to 2012.

  • Achance

    Murkowski’s appointment of Lisa brought on a citizen iniative that changed the whole selection process. At most Gov. Palin can appoint a stand in for 90 days, and that isn’t certain. If Stevens steps down or is not seated, there must be a special election within 90 days. Begich would be the heavy favorite against any Republican except Palin and even she’d have a tough race since the WHOLE might of the Left would be concentrated against her. In sum, I’d kiss the Alaska seat goodbye.

  • exitsfunnel

    Everything I’ve read seems to indicate that the remaining ballots are from precincts which tilt democratic. Doesn’t even look like it will stay withing the 0.5 percent recount window. Ugh. I will never understand how Stephens won that primary.

    -exits