It was only last month that Republican Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska was convicted on charges of corruption. This was only a few days before US Election Day on 2008 on November 4 would take place. A hearing is scheduled on February 25, 2009. Under these charges he can serve the maximum sentence or thirty-five years.
Stevens was convicted for lying about disclosure about gifts he had received.
Still, it did not deter Stevens from running for reelection. He had already called voters to support him.
During that time, it was revealed that Stevens was in dead heat with his Democratic rival Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich. GOP nominee Senator John McCain of Arizona had told Stevens to step down.
However, it looks like that support for Stevens is declining. Alaska is still counting up the ballots in the US Senate race. So far, most of the remaining ballots that need to be counted look to be aiming towards Begich.
“With the gap widening slightly in our favor today, I feel even more optimistic that when all the ballots are counted next week, we’ll see Alaskans came out to vote for new leadership in Washington, D.C.,” Begich had said.
Some of Stevens’ supporters are saying that the outcome looks slim.
According to Ivan Moore, a pollster, he says that Stevens could very likely get voted out of his seat.
Should that be the case, the Democrats will gain another seat in the US Senate. It would be one seat close to getting the “Magic 60” needed to override filibusters.
There is still the situation in the Minnesota Senate race.