A New Comeback Kid Is Crowned In AK
While most people were caught up in the fluctuating vote tallies in the AK Senate race, one important nugget seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle: The AP called Rep. Don Young (R-AK AL) the winner over ex-state House Min. Leader Ethan Berkowitz (D) last p.m.
The result, which came after AK elections officials counted tens of thousands of absentee and early votes 11/12, caps a second miraculous comeback for Young. In the primary, he defeated LG Sean Parnell (R) despite trailing late in the polls. And against Berkowitz, most polls showed the Dem with a double-digit lead.
But in the end, he defeated Berkowitz by 15K votes, or by a 51-45% margin. Berkowitz spokesperson David Shurtleff said his candidate was not ready to concede and wouldn't comment until more votes are counted. 30K votes still need to be tallied in the race.
With Young's race in the bag for GOPers, the Dem net gain from 11/4 continues to hold at 20. But outstanding results from GOP-held seats in OH-15, CA-04 and VA-05 threaten to push that total higher.
Dems look likely to capture Rep. Virgil Goode's (R-VA 05) seat, as atty Tom Perriello (D) holds a 750-vote lead. And with thousands of provisional ballots outstanding, state Sen. Steve Stivers' (R) 149-vote lead looks very tenuous. But in CA-04, state Sen. Tom McClintock's (R) 1,283-vote margin over '06 nominee Charlie Brown (D) grows by the day, and looks to be the GOP's best hope of a hold in the remaining three outstanding races.
(TIM SAHD)
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