Begich On Win: Stevens' Conviction Played Role But Voters Were Concerned With Long-Term Future

Juneau, AK (AHN) -Senator-elect March Begich spoke to NPR on Wednesday while celebrating his victory over the Senate's longest-serving Republican, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK).

In his first interview after being declared by networks as the winner, Begich says his campaign began with the aim of offering voters a choice about the future of the state. As Alaska celebrates its 50th anniversary, Begich said, voters saw "huge opportunities," and he offered "an opportunity to represent Alaskans of the future."

When asked how much of Stevens' conviction on a seven-count indictment, and the federal investigation surrounding corruption allegations against Rep. Don Young (R-AK), contributed to his victory, Begich said Stevens' conviction "played a role" but that people were also concerned "about where we would be as a state 30, 40 years from now and who can bring us down that path."

The Democrat said Stevens had given "a lot of great service" in his four decades as senator, but that voters realized that he "would be facing appeals and many other things in the next two years.. [and these] would take away his focus from Alaska."

The race was called for Begich Tuesday night after final absentee and questioned ballots were tallied. The same day, Stevens marked his 85th birthday, and avoided a vote by Senate Republicans on whether to expel him.

Begich's victory gives Democrats a 58-vote majority in the Senate, including the two independents who caucus with them, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-VT). They are looking to two other races to gain a 60-vote filibuster-proof majority: in Georgia, where the contest between Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) and Democrat Jim Martin is headed to a runoff, and in Minnesota, where Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) and Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate Al Franken will have to wait at least a month until after a statewide manual recount begins on Wednesday.