Ted Stevens loses Alaska Senate Race…Developing Story
Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK), the longest-serving Republican Senator and a figure in Alaskan politics since before statehood has not only been indicted and convicted on seven counts of falsely reporting hundreds of thousands of dollars in services he received from various companies, but has all but lost his re-election bid for a seventh term as Senator to Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich. This marks a dramatic shift in Senate power, moving Senate Democrats to within two seats of a fillbuster-proof 60-vote majority.
As of Tuesday night, Stevens was trailing the Anchorage Mayor by 3,724 votes, with only 2,500 overseas ballots remaining uncounted.
“Uncle Ted,” as Alaskans refer to him has seen his glory days wither away in the midsts of federal corruption convictions. The balance of power in the Senate is about to drastically change, and the loss of Stevens will further the Democratic leadership and power. Stevens has served in the Senate since the days of the Johnson administration.
But in the midst of a generational shift across America, Stevens has been ushered away by the younger candidate. The Republican party is withering away and in need of restructuring badly as a result.
“With seven seats and counting now added to the Democratic ranks in the Senate, we have an even stronger majority that will bring real change to America,” Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said in a statement.
Even if Stevens were to manage to pull a victory out of a self-funded recount, he would likely be facing expulsionary hearings from the Senate next year. The age of old-school Republican politics is coming to an end for the State of Alaska, and it looks like for the United States Senate as well. This should be a sign of good things to come for this nation as an era of new-politics is ushered into the Senate halls and political practices.
UPDATE: Tuesday, November 19th, 2008 Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) has conceded the 2008 election, ending his bid for re-election to the Senate for a record seventh term. Trailing by over 3,700 votes, Stevens decided to throw in the towel and “enjoy life” in the private sector. The Senate is now two seats away from a fillbuster-proof majority. Mayor Mark Begich will assume the Alaskan Senate seat that Stevens has held for the past few decades come next January.
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