Stevens concedes in Senate race
Originally published Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 12:11 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 12:51 p.m.
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Stumble It!ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens conceded defeat Wednesday in a re-election bid shadowed by his federal felony conviction, while the Democrat who toppled him staked out a centrist agenda that includes opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.
In an eight-sentence statement, the longest serving Republican in Senate history said not enough ballots remain uncounted for him to catch Mark Begich, who holds a 3,724-vote edge out of about 315,000 ballots cast.
He never directly mentioned his Washington trial on charges that he failed to properly disclose a sauna and other gifts from an oil services company, but thanked "the thousands of Alaskans who stood by us.
"I am proud of the campaign we ran and regret that the outcome was not what we had hoped for," Stevens said. "I am deeply grateful to Alaskans for allowing me to serve them for 40 years in the U.S. Senate. It has been the greatest honor of my life."
The votes that gave Begich a winning margin were tallied Tuesday, Stevens' 85th birthday.
The senator's statement was released just minutes after Begich, 46, the Anchorage mayor, met with reporters and disclosed he had not heard from Stevens, even though he had been congratulated by other leading Republicans, including Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.
A smiling Begich described his election as a fundamental shift in the Alaska political landscape long dominated by Republicans. At the same time, he made clear he was not a conventional Washington Democrat, citing his support for gun rights and drilling in the protected refuge in the state's northern reaches.
"Anybody who knows me knows that I'm a different Democrat - I'm from Alaska," he said. Along with firearm rights and drilling, "Alaskans are very libertarian in issues where the government shouldn't interfere in their personal lives."
He said he was "definitely different than a New York Democrat."
Stevens' defeat marks the end of an era in which he held a commanding place in Alaska politics while wielding power on some of the most influential committees in Congress.
It also moved Senate Democrats within two seats of a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority and gives President-elect Barack Obama a stronger hand when he assumes office on Jan. 20. Democrats now hold 58 Senate seats, when two independents who align with Democrats are included, with undecided races in Minnesota and Georgia.
Stevens' pursuit of a seventh term was damaged by his conviction in federal court - just days before the election - for lying on Senate disclosure forms to conceal more than $250,000 in gifts and home renovations from an oil field services company.
He was trying to become the first convicted felon to win election to the Senate. Still, he said he will not ask President George W. Bush to give him a pardon for his seven felony convictions.
Tuesday's tally of just over 24,000 absentee and other ballots gave Begich 150,728, or 47.76 percent, to 147,004, or 46.58 percent, for Stevens. There are about 2,500 overseas ballots yet to be counted.
It is a testament to Stevens' popularity - he was once named "Alaskan of the Century" - that he won nearly half the votes, even after his conviction. He routinely brought home the highest number of government dollars per capita in the nation - more than $9 billion in 2006 alone, according to one estimate.
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About time. Glad its over. Good grief!
Thanks Uncle Ted, I am sorry for you and us as well. I sure wish that you had not decided to try and hide this stuff, although, I believe that it went down pretty much just as you said it did, but you had to know that it was not going to "fly". Congratulations to Mark Begich, I hope you vote as an Alaskan, not just follow the Democrats in "lock step". Time to move on and forward for Alaska!!
Alaska is watching....we'll see how those promises pan out.
Although I disapprove of Stevens' actions, I am mostly excited to have Mark Begich as our senator. He will make sure to stand up for Alaska---and that doesn't just mean bringing home pork.
So long. Farewell. Make sure the door hits you on the a$$!!
By the way, thanks for the added tarnish, second only to Sarah!
We'll see how independent thinking he is when he gets there and meets the sharks in the tank. Nice stab at Hillary though. Thanks for that Mark. Chalked up the first check on the plus side for ya for it. Hopefully there will be many more there, and few on the negative.
Mark, Mark, Mark. Do you really think the Democratic majority will let you diverge as a freshmen senator? Good luck to you. I would not doubt that you vote 100% down party lines. It is the only way you'll get tapped for committees and chair positions.
Well, Bob Bartlett and Ernest Gruening were good Democrats for Alaska. Hopefully, Mark will be, too.
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i'm excited for mark. i hope he goes out there and does some good things for our state
Thank-you Ted Stevens for your time serving. We shall now see how Mark stands up....
Anybody know how many other parents and their children have served in the US Congress?
--Pahoasean---thats just rude and serves no insightfull purpose to a discussion board
Why do people fall from grace? All Ted had to say was, "Thanks, but no thanks" and he would have lived the rest of his life in the Senate instead of in shame. I just don't understand. Politics is a disease I guess. You go in clean as a baby's rear and end up under investigation or thrown out. Gawd, it's so easy to live a moral life. It takes hard work to remember lies and keep your back covered while others try to stab it. Any honest people left in this world? Mark, will you be one? I'm glad I voted for you, make me proud.
I sincerely hope that Mark remembers where he came from and Alaskans want ANWR and their guns. Hope he does not become a pawn in the beltway. No extra money for AK like Ted did for awhile. He will have to play the game by the Democratic rules if he wants any postion of power and that would be rare for a first time Senator - especially from Alaska.
CPW
147004 votes for Stevens, and 13113 votes for Bird= 160,117 for the Conservative candidates.
150728 votes for Begich. Begich, even running against a convicted felon could not win the support of most Alaskans who voted.
Will Begich be indicted for his role in fleecing the taxpayers of well over one million dollars to the benefit of his former business partners?
And when will we rename the Anchorage airport? The best place names are the ones that are frank and descriptive. The 'Anchorage International Airport' would be just fine.
I appreciate the Stevens supporters who are willing to give Mark a chance. I'm confident he'll do Alaska proud.
Ponderous and others who claim expertise on what Mark will or won't be able to do might want to take a chill pill and listen for a while instead of prejudging. You might learn a thing or two.
I have always thought that anyone staying too long in Washington would have a bad effect on a persons clarity between black and white. I think this is just another good reason for an amendment to make federal term limits on all congressmen the rule of our country. Didn't Stevens advocate that in the early days? Wouldn't it be nice if Stevens could get such an amendment as he parted ways with congress? That would be an interesting positive way to go out. It certainly would be a big feather in his cap to add to his legacy. Go out on something good.
Regardless, even if he doesn't win the appeal, I will still have respect for Stevens when all is said and done. He has done so much for Alaskans, Americans, and for what is good over the years, I won't forget all that for this one bad thing.
Also, good luck to Mark as our new Senator. I hope he turns out to be as bright a star as the North Star. I am eager to see how he deals with the rats nest that is Washington.
Mark has very, very, big senatorial shoes to fill and I am hoping that he will do as well as his dad did as a U.S. Representative in Congress. I have my doubts about how Senator Stevens was prosecuted but now he does not have to go through the embarrassment of being stripped of his senatorial perquisites. He did a great job for us while there and I always got a response to any inquiry I had about our government. He never forgot the little guy. And finally, best wishes Senator-Elect Begich.
Congratulations and best wishes to Mayor and now Senator-Elect Begich. He has my personal support for as long as he keeps himself out of a courtroom and my political support for as long as he puts Alaska's 10th Amendment rights before the whims of his party.
Mayor Begich: When you make your oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States; it is my sincere hope that you will take it in a most serious manner and with full knowledge of what that oath requires. Good Luck.
Thank You Ted Stevens. Congratulations Mark Begich I hope you can maintain your Alaskan roots and stay away from the Democrat's agenda.
PahoaSean seems just another digital troll.
Pat
Gee, I've been hearing that all Democrats are for gun rights and the 2nd Amendment. Wonder why Begich felt he had to mention that.
So, it's a done deal and we have a new Senator. I sure hope he can live up to his rhetorical promises to be independent, but that won't be easy.
More likely is Begich being an errand-boy for Harry Reid due to the fact the DNC put so much money into his campaign, something they didn't do so in order to benefit Alaskans but to further their national agenda.
To accomplish anything, he will have to tow the party line on everything else, including ANWAR. They'll throw him a bone or two when it comes to tolerating his deviant line about guns, but that'll be it.
Hope I'm wrong and he actually stands up to them successfully.
If Harry Reid tries to force Mark Begich into going against his convictions, then that's Reid's problem, not Begich's. Maybe we should push for Begich to become Majority Leader instead! That's certainly no reason not to allow Begich a seat in the Senate.
I would like to start with an apology to my fellow Alaskans 4 doubting U would get it right in the end.I am so glad Mr.Stevens can now spend some quality time with his family.He seemed so sad that he missed all that while he was working so hard for us unappreciative.Time for a new begining after 42yrs. its about freakin` time!
Ted, goodbye and good riddance to the the last few years of your poor ethics. I hope the next few years carry a better record of honesty and integrity
If Stevens was a wise buzzard he would have resigned many melts ago and kept his legacy. Greed is a danger thing to obtain.
FINALLY!
Down with the dirty and up with change anyone who voted for a convicted felon (Ted Stevens) is an idiot lol.
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