AP Calls Senate Race for Sullivan, but…
Spiffy election map from Kyle Hopkins at KTUU. Begich is blue, Sullivan red. Link to more maps at the end of the post.
The Associated Press last night called the Alaska Senate race for Republican Dan Sullivan. So, is it over? Well, not quite yet.
There are still more than 20,000 votes to count, and overseas ballots still have almost a week to arrive. There are votes yet to come in from villages in which Mark Begich expects a high level of support. The campaign released the following statement even as Begich is back in D.C. for his probable but not definite lame duck months.
A statement by a campaign structure that has seen their candidate win several elections by the slimmest of margins came from Suzanne Fleek-Green of the Begich campaign.
“Sen. Begich believes every vote deserves to be counted in this election. There are tens of thousands of outstanding votes and Sen. Begich has heard from rural Alaskans that their votes deserve to be counted and their voices deserve to be heard. He will honor those requests.”
Early votes from Monday, and absentees from November 4 and 5th were counted yesterday.
Only the “full-count ballots” (ballots that included votes for down ticket races) were counted in districts 15 and 21 for Anchorage, because they were the closest. Gabrielle LeDoux (incumbent R) is leading Laurie Hummel (D) on the east side in District 15 by 168 votes, and Matt Claman (D) in the open race is leading Anand Dubey (R) by 86 votes, increasing his lead from 35 votes on election night.
If, in fact, Sullivan’s victory holds, Alaska will have traded the fifth most powerful Senator in the country, and a seat on the Appropriations committee, and a Senator in each party, for someone who has never held elected office, and will rank 100 out of 100. And they will have traded a lifelong Alaskan who is knowledgeable on the issues, for an Ohio/Maryland carpetbagger who can’t even answer the most basic questions about fisheries issues, and thinks showing up for debates is optional. Nice going, Alaska. Because… OBAMA!
In happier news, the independent team of Bill Walker and Byron Mallott are maintaining their 4,000 vote lead over incumbent Republican Governor Sean Parnell, and his sidekick “Mayor Dan.” So, if luck holds, we won’t be re-electing a spendthrift ConocoPhillips lobbyist oil shill who abandoned members of the National Guard to sexual assault, abuse of power, and a host of other nefarious doings. And we won’t put a Mayor who epically botched his city’s 2013 election in charge of… elections. And also too, raging homophobia.
So there’s that.
Other down ticket races of note include District 36 in Ketchikan which has Daniel Ortiz (N/A) leading Chere Klein (R) by 19 votes, and District 5 in Fairbanks with Adam Wool (D) leading Pete Higgins (R) by 225 votes.
The next round of counting will be on Friday. There are still about 16,000 absentee and questioned ballots which remain to be counted, and ballots from overseas will be accepted until next week.
(Link to spiffy election maps from Kyle Hopkins at KTUU)
Elections? Representative Democracy? Fairness? Ethics? Honesty? Feel free to add to the joke list.
I remember how about 40 years ago I Iearned how business was done in corrupt countries in Africa. Corruption was so rampant that there was a colloquial term for it, They called it Dash. The thing that astounded me was how willingly U.S. business adapted to it. Without a blink. Even though time and time again they were cheated. And apparently they brought home that mentality, or perhaps it was always present. Hard to tell. But I think we can all see the rationale, if cheating is the norm, anyone who does not cheat is a fool. Or more certainly a victim.
Then there is the erosion of trust. Once things degenerate to a level of “trust no one”, then we are all on our own and we no longer live in a society. We live in chaos.
It won’t work of course. Without cooperation no large population can sustain itself. Even cattle realize this fundamental truth. Strangely, we supposedly oh so intelligent humans do not realize the peril.
Why should not old men be mad?
Here is a big downside for Alaska if Sullivan wins. This is from Madville Times blog editor Cory A Heidelberger-
Our own Senator John Thune helps peddle the lie about Keystone XL creating 42,000 jobs. (Come January, South Dakota will no longer have anyone in Congress capable of telling the truth.)
That is the predicament Alaska will be in-no one representing the state will be there to counter all the lies wingnuts used to win this election.
There is no Democracy. Take heart in your homes and your tight communities. Your communities are the only hope you have. The outside is all fasciast. And thanks there is still the mud flats. Thanks Jean;)
ne…:(
Wait and see, wait and see.
Ding Dongs have creme filling for brains. The shoe fits, Shane. Wear it proudly.
Regarding the map, who voted on Saint Micheal Island? Last I checked it was just birds and seals living there! Don’t tell me they fell for the Koch bro’s BS too!
Are they going to count all the votes…?? I sure as hell hope so…!!
yes – all the ballots will be counted, regardless of all this hoo-bobby going on.
while the chances for the Senate race to turn around are diminishing, all ballots MUST be counted before final tallies can be certified.
check out the shaneholt dip who has to come say something inane,silly, foolish, stupid, fatuous, idiotic, ridiculous, ludicrous, absurd, senseless, asinine, frivolous, and vapid every time AKM writes a political post… ya know you’re hitting some uncomfortable truths when folks like that (try to) dog you, AKM. Keep up the good work 🙂
Shane’s lack of employment isn’t making him any smarter, that’s for sure.
🙂 Don’t back Pi.. Tell us what you REALLY think !!…. 🙂
How in the world did Sullivan take Kodiak after that disastrous fisheries debate showing?
Thank you to Sen. Begich for wanting all of the citizens who voted to have their vote counted. Still hopeful. Hang
in there Alaska.