Ted Stevens loses In Alaska Senate Race
Ted Stevens, convicted felon and longest serving Republican ever, is believed to have lost the race between himself and Democrat Mark Begich. These claims come from Begich’s camp in addition to unconfirmed numbers from state officials. Begich is reported to have approximately 47.7 percent of the vote versus Stevens’ 46.6 percent. The race was tight for the whole way through with Begich appearing to have had a 3,724 vote advantage over Stevens while an additional 2,500 absentee ballots remain to be counted, however a recount is likely.
The statement came Tuesday, two weeks after the election, with approximately 100 percent of Alaska’s precincts reporting. Officials are working hard to finalize and confirm the results, hoping to make a statement the week of December 1. Stevens will be permitted to request a recount within 5 days.
Stevens has acquired a sort of notoriety as of recent times, most notably for his conviction on felony corruption charges in October. It was claimed that Stevens had taken advantage of lenient Senate rules, filed false statements, his thousands of dollars in gifts and used his influence to further his own
wealth. In May of 2007, it was reported that the federal grand jury in addition to the FBI were investigating an excessive remodeling project at Stevens’ house. In July of that year, Stevens’ home Girdwood, Alaska was raided by FBI and IRS agents. A year later, Stevens was indicted by a federal grand jury and three months later, he was found guilty. He was charged with failing to properly report gifts, directly related to the home renovations he received from an oil-field services company, which amounted to over $250,000.
Stevens has maintained his innocence, in spite of his Republican colleagues planning to hold a vote whether to remove him from the Republican caucuses. Many Republicans including Sarah Palin have called on Stevens to step down and abdicate his senate seat.
If the numbers confirm that Begich is the winner, it will mean another member in the senate helping to push the next democratic administration’s agenda forward. The senate race in Alaska has a national impact, as Democrats are continuing to achieve their goal of what’s known as the Magic 60, which refers to the filibuster proof 60 seat majority in the U.S. senate. There are still races in Minnesota and Georgia whose results still remain to be seen.
The statement came Tuesday, two weeks after the election, with approximately 100 percent of Alaska’s precincts reporting. Officials are working hard to finalize and confirm the results, hoping to make a statement the week of December 1. Stevens will be permitted to request a recount within 5 days.
Stevens has acquired a sort of notoriety as of recent times, most notably for his conviction on felony corruption charges in October. It was claimed that Stevens had taken advantage of lenient Senate rules, filed false statements, his thousands of dollars in gifts and used his influence to further his own
Stevens has maintained his innocence, in spite of his Republican colleagues planning to hold a vote whether to remove him from the Republican caucuses. Many Republicans including Sarah Palin have called on Stevens to step down and abdicate his senate seat.
If the numbers confirm that Begich is the winner, it will mean another member in the senate helping to push the next democratic administration’s agenda forward. The senate race in Alaska has a national impact, as Democrats are continuing to achieve their goal of what’s known as the Magic 60, which refers to the filibuster proof 60 seat majority in the U.S. senate. There are still races in Minnesota and Georgia whose results still remain to be seen.
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