Kris Alingod - AHN Contributor
Juneau, AK (AHN) - Alaska is set to count on Tuesday the last votes 24,000 cast in the race between Anchorage Democratic Mayor Mark Begich led Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK).
Begich for the first time took the lead last Wednesday and is now ahead with 138,959 votes, or 47.37 percent. Stevens trails with 137,937 votes, or 47.02 percent.
The final absentee and questioned ballots will be tallied on Tuesday, exactly two weeks after election day.
"From what we're seeing, thousands of Alaskans, like me, did come out and vote early. I'm confident that Alaskans, like the rest of the country, want a new direction in Washington, and ultimately that will be reflected in the results," Begich said in a statement last week.
Stevens, the Senate's longest-serving Republican, is fighting for his political life after being convicted of a seven-count indictment just eight days before election day. He was found guilty of concealing $250,000 worth of gifts, including home improvements, from now-defunct oil services company VECO Corp. in his Senate financial disclosure forms from 1999-2006.
A win for the 84-year old lawmaker will not ensure him another term. Senate leaders, including majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV), minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), have called for his expulsion or resignation.
Begich's victory will bring Democrats closer to the 60-vote filibuster-proof majority they are hoping to get in the Senate. Democrats were able to gain six seats this election cycle for a 57-seat majority, including the two independents who caucus with them, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-VT). The gains were made in Colorado, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon and Virginia.
Results of two other races are still unknown: in Georgia, the contest between Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) and Democrat Jim Martin is headed to a runoff. In Minnesota, Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) and Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidate Al Franken will have to wait at least a month until a statewide manual recount is completed.
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