Bob Bird emailed contact.ipr@gmail.com:
Go to www.elect.alaska.net and check on the tally on the Alaska Senate race. Somewhere around 90,000 absentee, questioned and early ballots are being counted.
At this time, the page shows
Begich, Mark DEM 132196 [47.41%]
Bird, Bob AI 11315 [4.06%]
Gianoutsos, Ted NA 1140 [0.41%]
Haase, Fredrick D. LIB 2086 [0.75%]
Stevens, Ted REP 131382 [47.12%]
Write-in Votes 718 [0.26%]
Stevens was convicted on seven counts of making false statements on October 27. Stevens faces a maximum penalty of five years per charge. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 25.
Here is what happens if Begich’s current lead does not hold, according to wikipedia:
Within a few days of his conviction, Stevens faced bipartisan calls for his resignation. Both parties’ presidential candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain, were quick to call for Stevens to stand down. Obama said that Stevens needed to resign to help “put an end to the corruption and influence-peddling in Washington.” McCain said that Stevens “has broken his trust with the people” and needed to step down—a call echoed by his running mate, Sarah Palin. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, as well as fellow Republican Senators Norm Coleman, John Sununu and Gordon Smith have also called for Stevens to resign. McConnell said there would be “zero tolerance” for a convicted felon serving in the Senate—strongly hinting that he would support Stevens’ expulsion from the Senate unless Stevens resigned first. Late on November 1, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid confirmed that he would schedule a vote on Stevens’ expulsion, saying that “a convicted felon is not going to be able to serve in the United States Senate.” No sitting Senator has been expelled since the Civil War.
If Stevens is expelled, a special election would be held to fill the seat through the remainder of the term, until 2014. Some people speculate that defeated Vice President candidate, Sarah Palin may use this special election as a way to ‘get into’ Washington.
The AIP is listed as an affiliate of the Constitution Party on the latter party’s website. Bird has also been a national Constitution Party delegate. The Constitution Party may also have played an important role in the Oregon US Senate race, where incumbent Republican Gordon Smith was defeated in a tight race, and the Constitution Party member Dave Brownlow was one of the strongest candidates in the country affiliated with that party, with well over the margin of difference.
In the other two remaining race to be decided, Minnesota appears to be headed for a recount. The Independence Party’s Dean Barkley had over 15% of the vote, and several other candidates had less than 1%. Only a couple of hundred votes separate the Democratic and Republican candidates. In Georgia, no candidate got over 50%, and due to state law the race is heading for a runoff. The Libertarian Party’s Allen Buckley, eliminated in the first round, has not at this time endorsed either remaining candidate.
If all three of these remaining contests (Alaska, Minnesota and Georgia) are decided in favor of the Democrats, they will have a filibuster-proof 60 votes in the Senate – but only if Connecticut’s Joe Lieberman, who endorsed McCain, continues to caucus with them.

13 responses so far ↓
1 Libertarian Joseph // Nov 13, 2008 at 1:35 pm
The two party duopoly. Stupid Alaskans
2 paulie cannoli // Nov 13, 2008 at 2:48 pm
http://www.reason.com/blog/show/130068.html
3 inDglass // Nov 13, 2008 at 2:51 pm
47% of Alaska voted for Stevens less than a week after he was found guilty of seven felony counts of corruption?! Has the oil seeped into the tap water? What are these people thinking? I am starting to think there may be fewer brain cells in Alaska than there are people.
4 chinese_conservative // Nov 13, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Most of time Republicans accuse third parties of spoiling elections this time Ted Stevens spoiled the election for Bob Bird. Who would vote for a senator who is going to serve for jail? Didn’t they know a convicted felon was not going to win?
5 Trent Hill // Nov 13, 2008 at 3:10 pm
chinese_conservative,
Convicted felons can win. ANYONE can win in a major party scenario. Remember when the Dead Guy won the Senate race in Missouri?
6 paulie cannoli // Nov 13, 2008 at 3:20 pm
They should run dead felons.
How about Dillinger?
7 Galileo Galilei // Nov 13, 2008 at 3:44 pm
The voters in Alaska have disrespected the feds.
8 citizen1 // Nov 13, 2008 at 4:46 pm
McCain and especially Palin should not have only called on Stevens to resign but also endorsed Bird. Also the Alaskan Independence Party is not an affiliate of the CP. Although the CP did endorse Bird by resolution at their convention.
9 paulie cannoli // Nov 13, 2008 at 4:51 pm
I know the controversy over that one.
As I said in the article: the CP claims them as one, Bird has been a CP national delegate (as have other AIP members, officials and candidates), and the AIP endorses CP potus candidates.
10 Trent Hill // Nov 13, 2008 at 4:52 pm
True, the AIP is not an affilliate. Nor is the Kansas Reform Party. Both should be though.
Interesting story: Peroutka appeared on the ballot under something like 10 names.
Independent
Constitution Party
US Taxpayers Party (Michigan)
American Independent Party (California)
Independent American Party (Nevada)
Reform Party (Kansas)
Alaskan Independence Party (Alaska)
Concerned Citizens Party (Conneticut)
Nebraska Party (Nebraska)
11 Trent Hill // Nov 13, 2008 at 4:52 pm
The CP does not claim the AIP as an affilliate.
12 paulie cannoli // Nov 13, 2008 at 4:54 pm
http://www.constitutionparty.com/view_states.php?state=AK
13 green clay // Nov 16, 2008 at 1:19 pm
The only way I can understand Alaskans voting for Stevens is that although he took bribes, he also brought in a lot of money for the state through earmarks. Maybe he’s a crook which most Alaskans benefited from.
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