Hot on HuffPost:

See More Stories

Sen. Lisa Murkowski Concedes to Joe Miller in Alaska GOP Primary

1 year ago
  0 Comments Say Something  »
Text Size
Sen. Lisa Murkowski has conceded the Republican Senate primary to Joe Miller, giving the Tea Party favorite a stunning upset a full week after Alaska voters went to the polls.

"I don't see a scenario in which the primary will turn out in my favor," Murkowski said in her concession speech in Anchorage Tuesday night.

Only 1,668 votes separated the two candidates after last week's voting, and officials began counting absentee and other outstanding ballots Tuesday. Murkowski made slight gains as the day went on, but was never able to get Miller's lead below 1,200 votes, according to The Associated Press.

Murkowski said she called Miller, a Fairbanks attorney, to tell him of her decision shortly before making the announcement on live television. She praised her staff for keeping the campaign on the "high road."

"Now is the time for all Alaskans to come together and reach out with our core message of taking power from the federal government and bringing it back home to the people," Miller said in a written statement. "If we continue to allow the federal government to live beyond its means, we will all soon have to live below ours."

The Kansas-born war hero and West Point graduate won despite being outspent 20-1 by Murkowski, who was seeking her second full term. She was appointed to the seat in 2002 to succeed her father, Frank Murkowski, who went on to become governor.

The 43-year-old Miller rode a wave of Tea Party support while attacking the senator as a big-spending Washington insider. He got the backing of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a longtime Murkowski foe, who made last-minute robo-calls accusing the senator of voting "with the Democrats more than any Republican up for re-election this year."

Miller will face Democrat Scott McAdams in the November general election.

Our New Approach to Comments

In an effort to encourage the same level of civil dialogue among Politics Daily’s readers that we expect of our writers – a “civilogue,” to use the term coined by PD’s Jeffrey Weiss – we are requiring commenters to use their AOL or AIM screen names to submit a comment, and we are reading all comments before publishing them. Personal attacks (on writers, other readers, Nancy Pelosi, George W. Bush, or anyone at all) and comments that are not productive additions to the conversation will not be published, period, to make room for a discussion among those with ideas to kick around. Please read our Help and Feedback section for more info.

Add a Comment

*0 / 3000 Character Maximum Comment Moderation Enabled. Your comment will appear after it is cleared by an editor.

31 Comments

Filter by:
John Potterf

People are tired of the way things are being handled in Washington so they want to get rid of the ones presently in office

September 01 2010 at 12:39 PM Report abuse +14 rate up rate down Reply
GAFFNEYS

The tea party should check out their candidates they prop up, before they put money behind them.. Sharon Angle and Rand Paul are two examples where the GOP had a lock, but now at least Angle has an uphill road to win.

September 01 2010 at 12:38 PM Report abuse -7 rate up rate down Reply
neil rose

HOORAY.......

September 01 2010 at 12:29 PM Report abuse +11 rate up rate down Reply
livfreeordi

I predicted 2 years ago that Obama and the Democrats would overreach and be slapped down in the next election. It looks like that prediction is going to come true this November. But not in my wildest hopes and dreams did I think we would also get rid of a lot of RINOS this year! The rebirth of the GOP as the nation's CONSERVATIVE party has begun. If the GOP holds fast with conservative prinicples it will be in tune with the center-right spirit of the country..and will hold power for at least a generation.

September 01 2010 at 12:28 PM Report abuse +14 rate up rate down Reply
danceshorses

Even if the Republicans do not take control of Congress the landscape will be more Conservative. Republican in name only types that were likely to give a few votes in favor of the democrats are being replaced with considerably more Conservative people who are likely to hold against the democrats.

September 01 2010 at 12:04 PM Report abuse +16 rate up rate down Reply
richar5795

poke fun, call us names, and ignore us all you want...but come November, we are going to do some house cleaning in Washington D.C.

September 01 2010 at 11:54 AM Report abuse +6 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to richar5795's comment
bpdarling

Get ready to pay some SERIOUS taxes up there in Alaska. The Federal money that goes to Alaska is about to STOP! And, with Murkowski and Stevens in congress, Alaska got more federal dollars per capita than any other State. This election, while it makes Sarah and her bling tea party republican followers feel like they "won", this would actually COST Alaska taxpayers HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS. Say goodbye to those checks! If the guy even gets elected in November, he won't be around very long.

September 01 2010 at 3:28 PM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
sifuchuck

I wonder how long people will be deceived. What kills me are these so-called non-political politicians. Joe Miller will run on the idea that he is not a politician, but just a regular guy. First, he's a lawyer. Second, if he's running for office, he's a politician. Now he probably has some big Jimmy Stewart ideas of going to Washington and cleaning up Congress. Yeah, right. like Congress is going to be like, "Oh, Joe, please tell us what to do." Joe will get in line and do what he's told. Everyone who votes for him will have a reality check and then somehow convince themselves that he's a hero. My headline will read, "Dopes Get Duped."

September 01 2010 at 11:53 AM Report abuse -4 rate up rate down Reply
viking9343

Thank goodness Murkowski and Miller are both GOP. If a Dem had lost a race this close the media would be filled with stories about how the election was "stolen" though the corrupt notion that races this close MUST be won by a Democrat.

September 01 2010 at 11:24 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
tracer2524

You know the saying "A brain is a terrible thing to waste" The Tea Party wants less government/honest government but those who are climbing on the band wagon somehow fail to realize that those leaders of the movement who want less have made a tremendous amount of wealth from the very thing they are harping against. The followers are dumping donations into the pockets of hypocrites who are just as corrupt as any Dem/REP/IND party. It is comparable to those televised evangelical mega churches. Send in a donation and all of the Binni Hinnis and Sarah Palins of the world will thank the Lord for another gullible victim blinded by the light of the circus under the big top.

September 01 2010 at 11:23 AM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to tracer2524's comment
bpdarling

BINGO! THat is why Palin and the rest of them only prey on less educated mostly older rural voters, of which there are a lot of in this country. Sarah comes in and charges $24.95 fopr the book, and another $29.95 to snap a photo with her, and somehow the republican tea party feels good. It's COSTING them money, and Sarah made TENS OF MILLIONS! Sounds like the tea party should say, "take the power from Washington and give it DIRECTLY to Sarah Palin!"

September 01 2010 at 3:31 PM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
rayw777

my prayer is for unifying of the Party. It is always hard to lose, bur success quite often comes from defeat. We will pull together and we will be stronger than ever.Senater Mukowski is a true Lady And though I did not fully support her views, I know she will support the winner. Go Republicans. The vDems are so wrapped up in their own importance they can not see where they are wrong. Sad. Ray

September 01 2010 at 11:22 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply

Follow Politics Daily

  • Comics
robert-and-donna-trussell
CHAOS THEORY
Featuring political comics by Robert and Donna TrussellMore>>
  • Woman UP Video
politics daily videos
Weekly Videos
Woman Up, Politics Daily's Online Sunday ShowMore»
politics daily videos
TV Appearances
Showcasing appearances by Politics Daily staff and contributors.More>>