Ellen Lockyer, KSKA – Anchorage

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Photos by Annie Feidt, APRN – Anchorage

Senator Lisa Murkowski conceded her bid for reelection to primary opponent Joe Miller early Tuesday evening saying it was for the  “good of  the state of Alaska.”

She said it had been a “terribly long week” and “difficult on all sides,” during a press conference in Anchorage.

Murkowski had watched Miller’s lead dip and climb back during the course of Tuesday’s counting of absentee and other ballots but she said did not see a path to winning.

“Based on where we are right now, I don’t see a scenario, where the primary will turn out in my favor,” she told reporters. “I’m now conceding the race for the Republican nomination.”

She told reporters and several sullen supporters standing at her side that she had called Miller just before the press conference to tell him of her decision.

Murkowski thanked her supporters and called them the “best of the best.”

Prior to the press conference, Miller told KTUU-TV in Anchorage he felt “pretty good” about how the count had gone. He was asked if Murkowski should drop out. “No, that’s her decision,” he said.

Miller now faces Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams (right), the Democrat who easily won his party’s nomination.

Tuesday’s count showed Miller with 52,988 votes or 50.78 pct of the vote. Murkowski had 51,358 votes or 49.22 pct. Some 1,630 votes separated the two candidates. That was a margin similar to the one Miller had started with on Tuesday morning.

The Republican senate primary captured national headlines this past week as both campaigns sought to cast the returns in the most favorable light.

Miller’s candidacy was boosted early when he won the endorsement of former Governor Sarah Palin.

“Do you believe in miracles?!” Palin said in a Twitter message shortly after Murkowski’s announcement. “Thank you for your service, Sen. Murkowski. On to November!”

Miller, a Tea Party favorite, also had won the endorsement of Fox TV host and former GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.

Throughout the campaign, Miller had chided Murkowski for being too liberal.

Murkowski had run strong in Anchorage and various other parts of the state, but Miller led in Fairbanks and in much of the Mat-Su Valley.

The absentee ballot count today in the Republican U.S. Senate primary shows a slight narrowing of the gap between Lisa Murkowski and Joe Miller at this hour. As of 5:00 p.m., Miller is leading Murkowski by 1,469 votes, down from 1,668 votes after last Tuesday’s election.

Thousands of absentee ballots were counted today at the Anchorage office of the state division of elections.  The ballots are pivotal in the outcome of the race for Alaska’s available US Senate seat in the November election.

But things were quiet this morning as election volunteers, most of them women, sat at their workstations.   Both the Miller and the Murkowski campaigns had sent observers to watch the proceedings.  Gail Fenumiai, division of elections director,   said ballot counting was taking place at the same time in Wasilla

Fenumiai said questioned ballots, those voted on election day, but without proper address identification,   are verified by a bipartisan review board.  Despite fears expressed by the Miller campaign regarding mishandling of the vote count, the operation seemed to go smoothly. Other than a handful of reporters, there were few members of the public in evidence at the division office in Anchorage.

When new numbers were posted to the state election division website shortly before eleven this morning, the returns showed a slight lessening of the gap between the two candidates – in Murkowski’s favor.  John Bitney speaks for Lisa Murkowski’s campaign.

The districts reflecting the early returns were in Anchorage and Eagle River.  Miller campaign spokesman Randy DeSoto said he wasn’t worried about them

Shortly after noon, Matanuska Valley election officials finished counting absentee votes in Wasilla.  Those returns lessened Miller’s advantage by about one tenth of a percentage point.

Photo and Story by Ellen Lockyer, KSKA – Anchorage

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Miller led the incumbent 51.47 pct (40,841) to 48.53 pct (38,507) with just more than 61.2 pct of the precincts counted.

A Miller victory would mirror other anti-incumbent wins around the country. The Murkowski-Miller race jumped into the national spotlight when Miller was endorsed by former Governor Sarah Palin.

• State of Alaska Primary Election. Results.

Governor Sean Parnell, who took office after Palin resigned, was fending off several challengers including Ralph Samuels and Bill Walker. Parnell was drawing about 49 pct of the vote.

Democrats chose Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams to run against the Republican Senate nominee.

Ethan Berkowitz appeared to have won the Democratic nomination for governor defeating state Senator Hollis French.

Rep. Don Young easily won renomination and he will face Harry Crawford, a state legislator from Anchorage, in November.

Diane Benson won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor. Mead Treadwell was well ahead of Jay Ramras, a state legislator from Fairbanks, in the GOP race.

Alaskans also voted on two ballot measures Tuesday. One of the measures – No. 2 – would require parents to be notified if their teen, 18 or under, sought an abortion. This measure was winning approval. The other – No. 1 – was losing. It would have restricted lobbying and campaign contributions.

In other election results late Tuesday:

• Senate District P (Anchorage): Catherine Giessel held a commanding lead over Mark Moronell and Jennifer Johnston for the GOP nomination.
• House District 2  (Southeast): Peggy Wilson, the incumbent, was ahead of Steven Samuelson in the GOP race.
• House District 10 (Fairbanks): Steven Thompson held a wide lead over Vivian Stiver and Rahoi Urban in the Republican race.
• House District 12 (Valdez): Eric Feige, Pete Fellman and Don Haase were locked in a right race for the GOP nomination.
• House District 13: (Mat-Su): Carl Gatto was leading Don Benson in the GOP race.
• House District 15: (Mat-Su): Mark Newman was far ahead of Stephen Jacobson in the GOP race.
• House District 18 (Anchorage): Bill Cook was leading Dan Saddler and Dan Kendall for the GOP nomination.
• House District 30 (Anchorage): Charisse Millett appeared to have easily defeated Jeannett Reddington in the Republican primary.
• House District 31 (Anchorage): Bob Lynn was defeating Steve Pratt for the GOP nomination.
• House District 39 (Nome): Neal Foster held a commanding lead over Vincent Beans for the Democratic nomination.

Results from August 24, Alaska Primary election are still unofficial. Here’s the spot to check for updates:

• State of Alaska, Division of Elections: 2010 Unofficial Primary Election Results

Also listen for updates during Morning Edition on Wednesday from 5:00 – 9:00 am and Wednesday at 6:00 pm on Alaska News Nightly on KSKA.

Part 1/2 of a the first debate between incumbent Lisa Murkowski and challenger Joe Miller took place on August 19, 2010 during the RUNNING debates hosted in the KAKM studio and aired on KAKM, Channel 7, KSKA radio and APRN radio.

Part 2/2 of a the first debate between incumbent Lisa Murkowski and challenger Joe Miller took place on August 19, 2010 during the RUNNING debates hosted in the KAKM studio and aired on KAKM, Channel 7, KSKA radio and APRN radio.

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Jacob Seth Kern (D) and David Haase (L) did not appear for RUNNING.

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Don Young (R) did not appear for RUNNING.

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Jack Powers (D) and Jeffrey Brown (L) did not appear for RUNNING.

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Donald R. Wright (AIP) did not appear for RUNNING.

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Merica Hlatcu (R) did not appear for RUNNING.

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If you’ve got a TV handy, tune in to KAKM Channel 7 for the live televised event or stick with KSKA FM 91.1 for the live audio feed.

All times are approximate. Tune in a little ahead of the listed times to ensure you see/hear any particular grouping of candidates.

VOTER RESOURCES:

• Primary Elections Info — State of Alaska, Division of Elections
• Primary election coverage on KSKA, KAKM and APRN

7:00 p.m. – U.S. Senate

• Scott McAdams (D)
• Frank Vondersaar (D)
• Joe Miller (R)
• Lisa Murkowski (R)

Jacob Seth Kern (D) and David Hasse (L) are not expected to appear.

7:30 p.m. – U.S. House

• Harry Crawford (D)
• John R. Cox (R)
• Sheldon Fisher (R)

Don Young (R) is not expected to appear.

7:55 p.m. – Lieutenant Governor (Part 1)

• Diane Beson (D)
• Lynette Moreno-Hinz (D)
• Jack Powers (D)

Jeffrey Brown (L) is not expected to appear.

8:19 p.m. – Lieutenant Governor (Part 2)

• Eddie Burke (R)
• Bob Lupo (R)
• Jay Ramras (R)
• Mead Treadwell (R)

8:45 p.m. – Gubernatorial (Part 1)

• Ethan Berkowitz (D)
• Hollis French (D)
• William “Billy” Toien (L)

9:08 p.m. - Gubernatorial (Part 2)

• Gerald Heikes (R)
• Merica Hlatcu (R)
• Sam Little (R)
• Sean Parnell (R)
• Ralph Samuels (R)
• Bill Walker (R)

Audio will be posted online following live broadcast.

Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage

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Mike Doogan (D) who is also running for state house in district 25 did not appear on RUNNING on August 17.

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Charisse Millett (R) – Jeanette Reddington’s opponent – did not appear on RUNNING.

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