Posted on 09/06/2008 1:40:14 AM PDT by Clintonfatigued
U.S. Representative Don Young of Alaska still has a slim lead in a tight primary race against state Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell.
Young was 172 votes ahead of Parnell this evening (Friday) with most of the absentee and questioned ballots counted. That's up slightly from 151 votes after the primary election a week and a half ago.
Ballots from five House districts still remain to be counted tonight and the last overseas ballots won't be counted until Wednesday. But campaign spokesman Mike Anderson said Young was cautiously optimistic.
Young, the subject of a federal investigation for his ties to oil field services company VECO Corporation, is seeking his 19th term.
The division hopes to certify the election results by September 18.
The defeated candidate or 10 qualified voters have five days after certification to request a recount. A tie vote will trigger an automatic recount.
The winner of the primary will face the Democratic challenger Ethan Berkowitz in the November general election.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktuu.com ...
If Don Young wins this, he’ll claim it as being vindication, if his past record is any indication.
This seat is gone if Young wins. On the other hand, Parnell may rather lose and become Governor after McCain/Palin win...
U.S. HOUSE Aug 9-12 Aug 30 – Sep 2
Ethan Berkowitz – D
51.3% 54.4%
Don Young – R 40.6% 37.3%
Don Wright – AIP
3.9% 3.0%
Undecided
4.2% 5.2%
http://www.anchoragepress.com/inews/program/view_printer.asp?ID=823
No Palin bounce for the Don. Parnell got one though…
U.S. HOUSE Aug 9-12 Aug 30 – Sep 2
Ethan Berkowitz – D
41.7% 37.5%
Sean Parnell – R 46.0% 48.9%
Don Wright – AIP
3.2% 4.3%
Undecided
9.1% 9.3%
Vindication for him, and will be utterly worthless for the AK GOP. The big mistake was not getting Gabrielle LeDoux out of the race. She divided the anti-Young vote which should’ve gone to Lt Gov Parnell.
No one ever thought that Gabrielle LeDoux would be the deciding factor. Also, she was quick to point out that she announced her candidacy against Young before his indictment, while Parnell entered the primary at a much later date.
You’re correct that if Young stays in the race, it’s probably over.
What’s unfortunate is that even as Palin may help us carry other states, her likely large margin in Alaska may not prevent both Young and Stevens from losing (if they are on the November ballot) — but that is because they might as well be running on an entirely different party label from Palin, since she is obviously aligned with neither. The “reformer” opponents in November will, alas, end up being the rodent tag-team of Begich and Berkowitz, neither of whom would have a chance with reformist Republican opponents, had they been able to oust Young and Stevens in the primary (a prime example of that was had Palin not boldly stepped up to take out a crippled Frank Murkowski in ‘06, Murkowski would’ve lost to ex-Gov. Tony Knowles).
http://www.anchoragepress.com/inews/program/view_printer.asp?ID=823
The above poll shows that Palin’s pick as VP is helping Stevens, but not Young.
Stevens will likely be re-elected if he’s acquitted.
I was discussing aspects of that earlier this evening:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2074544/posts?page=46#46
Please get this corrupt pork-barreler out and replace him with Governor Palin’s reform candidate!
Sh** is all I can say. I wish the idiot primary voters would’ve take a gander at the polls which show how Young will be crushed into a fine paste.
I’m glad I don’t live live in Alaska.
Vote Stevens or 6 years of a rat. Corrupt sludge Young or a moonbat.
LLS
Why? why, do we keep nominateing these turds after it is shown they will lose? and on top of that they deserve to lose.
Parnell needs to win this or we lose this seat. Who becomes governor if Parnell wins and Palin is elected VP?
I’ve tried to find out, but there is apparently no defined line-of-succession under the AK Constitution (beyond the top two officers). I’m thinking that even if Parnell is certified as the primary winner and goes on to win in November, he’d prefer to remain as Governor as opposed to a first-term backbencher in an even smaller GOP minority in the House.
If he, instead, prefers to go to DC, in the short period between November and January, there are two options (if both Palin and Parnell are elected): Since Congress begins on Jan 3rd, Parnell would have to vacate his office ahead of Palin (Jan 20th), so Palin could appoint a new Lt Governor, such as Loren Leman, resign to become VP, and then Gov. Leman would appoint another person to the Lt Gov job. Or Palin could exit first, elevate Parnell, and then he’d do all the same things she did above. Alaska would have 3 Governors in the space of 2 months or less. Unusual in all of this would be that at that point, after January, the entire executive branch would be the only “unelected” body in the country.
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