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By Rachel Kapochunas, Marie Horrigan and Greg Giroux, CQ Staff
Democratic challenger Mark Begich held an 814-vote lead over Republican Sen. Ted Stevens early Thursday as Alaska counted the absentee ballots and early ballots that weren’t tallied on Election Day.
State elections officials said their count-in-progress showed that Stevens, who was convicted of criminal charges just days before voters went to the polls, trailed with 131,382 votes versus 132,196 for Begich, a Democrat. An unspecified number of ballots were yet to be counted.
The state is accepting some categories of ballots through Nov. 19 if they were postmarked in time. So it is possible that the margin — 47.1 percent for Stevens and 47.4 percent for Begich —could change after overseas military ballots arrive and the canvassing is complete.
Despite the conviction on seven felony counts of failing to report expensive gifts — which Stevens said he will appeal — the veteran senator has built a broad support base by forcefully advocating for Alaskan interests over his 40-year tenure in the Senate, which has made him the chamber’s longest-serving Republican ever.
The large number of uncounted ballots means the race remains too close to be called.
The tally had been delayed by state election rules that allow officials to count any absentee ballot postmarked inside the state by Election Day and received within 10 days of the election (which is this Friday), and any overseas or military ballot postmarked by Election Day and received with 15 days (next Wednesday, Nov. 19). State election officials have set Nov. 25 as their target date for certifying the election results.
If Stevens wins the election, his future in the Senate is unclear.
Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell , the Senate minority leader, stated after Stevens’ conviction that he expected Stevens would be expelled if his appeals fail to reverse the conviction. In addition. there is an effort afoot to make an example of Stevens by refusing to give him any committee seats in the next session of Congress. That effort will play out in a secret vote next week by all returning Republican senators.
Both Arizona Sen. John McCain , the Republican presidential nominee, and running mate Sarah Palin , the governor of Stevens’ home state of Alaska, had called on him to resign following his conviction.
Should Stevens win the election but then vacate the seat, a special election would be held to replace him on a date between 60 and 90 days after the vacancy occurs. It may be possible for Palin, as governor, to appoint an interim replacement prior to a special election, though that interpretation of Alaska law is subject to a dispute.
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