While neither AP nor the networks have yet called it, convicted felon Ted Stevens has almost certainly been re-elected to the Senate from Alaska.
Alaskans will have to wait a little while longer to find out if Senator Ted Stevens has been re-elected just days after becoming a convicted felon. The Republican held a slim lead over Democrat Mark Begich with 96 percent of precincts voting. More than 40,000 absentee ballots are yet to be counted. That must happen within 10 days of the election.
It’s almost inconceivable, though, that enough of the absentees — many of which were cast before Stevens’ conviction — will be enough to overturn the margin of victory.
WHIO’s Jamie Dupree dubs him “Senator Convicted Felon.” At the Arkansas Times, Max Brantley observes,
Sen. Ted Stevens, the newly minted felon, will be re-elected in Alaska. But when his conviction is affirmed and he resigns, a special election will be required for the seat and his Democratic challenger should be reasonably well-positioned. And the corrupt Rep. Don Young also was re-elected. Something is bad wrong in Alaska.
I’m reminded of Lewis Grizzard’s long-ago quip, when Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards was acquitted on racketering charges, that they “couldn’t find twelve people in Louisiana who thought stealin’ was a crime.” Alaska seems to have taken over the crown in that department.
The good news is that Stevens will surely be forced to resign or otherwise ousted from office. The good news for the GOP is that, with a non-convict on the ballot, a Republican should win a special election easily.
UPDATE (Alex Knapp) I second the special election scenario, about which I will make a prediction right now: “Welcome to Washington, Senator Palin.”
