Barely any discussion or info about the four unsettled Senate races

[brentspeak]

That goes for DU as well as the news websites. There's some talk about Coleman/Franken, but almost nothing about Stevens/Begich (did Alaska actually reelect Stevens and Young??), Smith/Merkley, and Chambliss/Martin.

[ananda]

1. So far..

Franken lost but is getting a recount in MN.

Chambliss beat Martin with 50%, so no runoff.

Stevens won in Alaska. Yes, Alaskans are a
special brand of stupid motherfukkers.

I don't know about the other one.

[depakid]

2. According to the Anchorage Daily News

"With more than 80 percent of the precincts reporting, Stevens held a 2-percentage point advantage over Democrat Begich. About 4,000 votes separated the candidates. The razor-thin margin means the Senate race might not be decided for two weeks.

Still to be counted are roughly 40,000 absentee ballots, with more expected to arrive in the mail, as well as 9,000 uncounted early votes and thousands of questioned ballots. The state Elections Division has up to 15 days after the election to tally all the remaining ballots before finalizing the count."

So this one looks to be close.

Don Young on the other hand, loks to have pulled off the "upset."

Goes to show you that despite Obama's victory, not much has or will change in many regions across the country.

[Fireweed247]

10. a special brand of stupid

I am really disgusted at the people in my state. In an election where Obama wins in an amazing landslide, McCain won Alaska with 65%, I think that about says it all. They are more interested in $$ than anything else. It is sick that both Stevens and Young have been reelected. But then, the exit polls did say differently, quite possibly there was some election fraud going on because Don Young was almost thrown out in the primary.

[L. Coyote]

3. TheHill: Coleman wins, but some Senate races still nail-biters

Coleman wins, but some Senate races still nail-biters
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/several-senate-races-remain-nail-biters-2008-11-05.html


Coleman was leading comedian Al Franken (D) by just 757 votes out of about 3 million cast in Minnesota. The Associated Press called the race for Coleman at about 7:30 a.m. EST, but state law requires an automatic recount ....

.....

Sen. Ted Stevens, who last week was convicted on felony charges, is holding onto a narrow lead over his Democratic opponent, Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D). But there are about 50,000-60,000 outstanding early and absentee ballots ....


.....

In Georgia, Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R) led Democratic challenger 49.8-46.8 percent, but state law requires a candidate to win a majority of votes or face off ...

With 74-percent of the precincts reporting, Oregon Republican Gordon Smith led his Democratic challenger, Jeff Merkley, by 12,950 votes, but the race remains too close to call. .........

==========
On Edit: Senate results
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23908644/

[JCMach1]

5. Franken race will be a recount... so not settled yet.

[L. Coyote]

4. OR Radio just stated Merkley has an edge. Uncounted votes are PDX votes!!

[Coventina]

6. I'm guessing Stevens will win because the early votes came in before the conviction

:shrug:

[pitohui]

7. but stevens can't be seated in the senate, correct?

reid has said he won't tolerate this convicted criminal in the senate, correct?

[Coventina]

8. The senate would have to go through a process to kick him out

IIRC, it's a process that has never been done before, because every senator that was threatened with it had the decency to resign first. Looks like we'll finally see it in action!! (Stevens, of course, has no decency).

[L. Coyote]

11. Unless there is a distinct demographic outstanding, like young service people in Iraq.

Begich wins if the remainder breaks 8+ votes Begich to 7 Stevens votes.
Below is one Alaska demographic splitting 2:1 for Begich.

From: http://www.adn.com/election/results/story/577002.html#us_senate

U.S. Senate
Stevens 106,351
Begich 102,998
= Difference now at 3,353
Over 80% of votes reported.

Meanwhile "Still to be counted are roughly 40,000 absentee ballots, with more expected to arrive in the mail, as well as
9,000 uncounted early votes and thousands of questioned ballots." (http://www.adn.com/elections/story/579005.html)

Given 51,000 votes to count, Begich needs 3354 votes plus half the remainder.
2x + 3354 = 51,000.
x = 23,823
x + 3354 = 27,177

27,177 : 23,823 = 1.0 : 0.877



===================
Unofficial youth vote swings for Obama
Juneau Empire - http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/110508/reg_352352919.shtml

JUNEAU - Barack Obama not only won the nation's popular vote Tuesday, he also captured the vote of a majority of Juneau school students.

Obama won the unofficial youth vote 1,721 to John McCain's 1,228 votes.

The students also voted for Democratic Senate candidate Mark Begich, who beat Sen. Ted Stevens 1,319 to 744 votes.

[burythehatchet]

9. ga

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3584665&mesg_id=3584665

[L. Coyote]

12. TheNation:

Franken Recount in Minnesota and Other Unsettled Senate Races
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters/380659/franken_recount_in_minnesota_and_other_unsettled_senate_races


Races for Republican-held Senate seats in Alaska, Georgia, Minnesota and Oregon were unsettled as Tuesday turned to Wednesday, and could remain so for weeks. ..... Tuesday saw significant gains. Five Republican seats fell to Democrats: .....

....

To get to 60, however, it must win those four unsettled races. It will not be easy to do so. But the Democrats are agonizingly close. To wit:

• In Minnesota, with 100 percent of the precincts reporting Wednesday morning, Democrat Al Franken trailed .... by less than 600 votes out of almost 2.5 million cast.

• In Alaska ... Democrat Nick Begich trailed scandal-plagued Republican Senator Ted Stevens by roughly 3,400 votes out of almost 210,000 cast.

• In Oregon, with 75 percent of precincts reporting, Democrat Jeff Merkley trailed Republican Senator Gordon Smith... by under 15,000 votes out of more than a million cast.

• In Georgia, ..........

[brentspeak]

13. Thanks. Good link.