Sen. Ted Stevens Now Trails Rival As Alaska Continues Counting Ballots

Juneau, AK (AHN) - Anchorage Democratic Mayor Mark Begich led Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) for the first time Wednesday night as tallying of absentee and other last ballots continued in Alaska.

Begich now has 132,196 votes, or 47.41 percent, while Stevens trails with 131,382 percent, or 47.12 percent, according to the latest results from the Alaska Division of Elections.

Stevens, an 84-year old icon in Alaskan politics, is fighting for his political life after being convicted of a seven-count indictment just eight days before election day. He was found guilty of concealing $250,000 worth of gifts, including home improvements, from now-defunct oil services company VECO Corp. in his Senate financial disclosure forms from 1999-2006.

A win for Stevens, the Senate's longest-serving Republican, will not ensure him another term. Senate leaders, including Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), have called for his expulsion or resignation. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who also urged Stevens to resign, has been reported as a likely replacement.

A victory for Begich, on the other hand, will bring Democrats closer to the 60-vote majority they were hoping to get in the Senate. Democrats were able to gain six seats this election cycle for a 57-seat majority, including the two independents who caucus with them, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-VT). The gains were made in Colorado, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon and Virginia.

Democrat Jim Merkley won Oregon's close race against two-term Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR), while Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO) won the contest in the Centennial State against Republican Bob Schaffer.

Sen. John Sununu (R -NH) lost his seat to Democratic former New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen. In New Mexico, Rep. Tom Udall (D-NM) won against Republican rival Steve Pearce to take the seat of retiring Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM).

Republicans also lost a seat they've held for more than three decades when Democratic state Sen. Kay Hagan won against Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) in North Carolina. In the Old Dominion, Democratic former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner beat another former governor, Republican Jim Gilmore, to win the seat of retiring five-term incumbent, Sen. John Warner (R-VA).

Results of two races are still unknown: in Georgia, the contest between Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) and Democrat Jim Martin is headed to a runoff, while in Minnesota, Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) and Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidate Al Franken will have to wait at least a month until a statewide manual recount is completed.