Dave Donaldson, APRN – Juneau
Senator Lisa Murkowski last night conceded her re-election bid. In a hastily called press conference after many of the state’s absentee, questioned and early ballots had been counted, the senior Senator said she didn’t foresee a scenario where the Republican primary would turn out in her favor.
“And that is a reality that is before me at this point in time. And for that reason, and for the good of the state of Alaska, which is – this is what this is all about,” Murkowski said. “It’s for the good of the state of Alaska. I am now conceding the race for the Republican nomination. I’ve shared that information with Mr. Miller just a few moments ago.”
Throughout the day, the election night ballot count had changed in her favor by only 38 votes at the time of her concession. She had won in 21 House districts, mostly in Southeast and Anchorage, but not by enough votes to balance her losses in Fairbanks, the Kenai Peninsula and Matsu. At the end of the day, Joe Miller was still in the lead by a 1,630 vote margin. That’s about one and a half percent of the total 104,000 votes cast.
During her seven-minute speech, Murkowski thanked the people around the state who have supported her over the years as well as the volunteers and staff in Anchorage and in Washington DC. She said it’s now time for her to complete her job she was elected to.
“We’ve got legislation that’s going to be before us in Washington DC when we get back in September. I know for a fact that some of the case work that we’re working on here – we’ve got six hundred-some-odd files where we are providing that help, that assistance to Alaskans all over the state,” Murkowski said. “That work is going to continue. And we’re going to make sure that we hold the federal agencies accountable to the people of Alaska.”
“We’re going to keep doing our job for the people of the state that we represent.”
Murkowski said she plans to return to Alaska after her term is over this year.
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