My Man Stevens, the Convict Loses

[GoS]

I'll cite a new one here, politico.com



November 19, 2008
Categories: Alaska

Ted Stevens concedes
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) has conceded his Senate race to Democrat Mark Begich and will not seek a recount.

With nearly all the votes in the Alaska Senate race counted, Begich leads by a 3,724-vote margin, 47.8 to 46.6 percent.

Stevens determined that the margin was too large for him to overcome in a recount.

“Given the number of ballots that remain to be counted, it is apparent the election has been decided and Mayor Begich has been elected,” Stevens said in a statement. “I wish Mayor Begich and his family well. My staff and I stand willing to help him prepare for his new position.”

His concession officially puts a cap on his 40-year career in the Senate. First appointed in 1968, Stevens was the longest-serving Republican in the Senate.

Stevens could have asked for a recount, but because he was trailing by more than a 0.5 percentage points, his campaign would have had to pay for it.

With Begich's victory, Democrats have gained seven Senate seats, with the results of races in Minnesota and Georgia still pending.