Sen. Lisa Murkowski Wins Write-In Campaign, Defeating Tea Party Rival in Alaska Senate Race

Strategic Insights -

Sen. Lisa Murkowski emerged victorious in a write-in campaign against her tea party rival, Joe Miller, after a weeklong count of hand-written votes in Alaska. Murkowski's surprising win completes a remarkable comeback after her loss in the GOP primary, marking the first Senate candidate in over 50 years to achieve a write-in victory. The Republican senator has a lead of 10,400 votes, with only about 700 votes remaining to be counted. Despite Miller's initial reluctance to concede, he has hinted at a possible recount, citing the challenges posed by misspellings, extra words, and legibility issues on several ballots.

Key Takeaways:

  • Sen. Lisa Murkowski secured a write-in victory in the Alaska Senate race, becoming the first Senate candidate in over 50 years to achieve this feat.
  • Murkowski's lead stands at 10,400 votes, with only about 700 votes remaining to be counted by Alaska election officials.
  • The write-in campaign was a rebuke to Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate, who backed Joe Miller.
  • Murkowski's victory was a result of her efforts to accept a write-in campaign, despite initial doubts, after being encouraged by Alaskans seeking an alternative between Miller and the Democratic nominee.
  • The outcome means that Murkowski will return to Washington in a unique position, not beholden to any special interests or party factions, and may not seek to reclaim her leadership post within the GOP conference.

Statistics:

  • Murkowski's lead: 10,400 votes
  • Remaining votes to be counted: approximately 700
  • Percentage of votes remaining: 7.5% (based on the current total of 92,501 votes)
  • Number of challenged ballots: 8,153, primarily due to misspellings, extra words, or legibility issues
  • Comparative vote count: 92,501 total votes, with 700 remaining (0.75%)

Sources:

  • The Associated Press: "Murkowski wins write-in Senate campaign"
  • Becky Bohrer: Reporter for The Associated Press
  • Official Alaska election results: Unspecified (quoted in the original text)