Here’s a quick update on the statewide races that may or may not be seeing recounts, election contests, graphology examinations, Brooks Brothers riots, etc.:
• In the Alaska Senate race, it’s not a recount so much as a protracted and unusual vote count — it could take weeks to sort through the 41% of ballots that were write-in votes, to determine how many them constitute valid, legal votes for incumbent GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowsi against Republican nominee Joe Miller.
• In the Connecticut gubernatorial race, Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz (D) has declared that Democrat Dan Malloy will win the race, without a recount. Republican Tom Foley is not conceding, maintaining that his campaign’s internal numbers have them on track for a 2,000-vote win.
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• In the Illinois gubernatorial race, Republican nominee Bill Brady is hoping he can erase Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn’s 8,300-vote lead from absentee ballots. He has said that he has not yet begun to discuss a recount.
• The apparent Minnesota gubernatorial recount could be a real fun time — with Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a potential presidential candidate, staying on as governor for some time if it is not resolved by early January.
• Also, as of right now, Sen. Michael Bennet’s (D-CO) margin over Republican nominee Ken Buck is beyond the 0.5% that would trigger an automatic recount. The Denver Post has declared Bennet the winner, and he has declared victory, while Buck has not conceded the race.
Eric Kleefeld
Eric Kleefeld joined TPM as an intern for the final months of the 2006 midterm elections, and then kept showing up for work. His other interests include guitars, old comic books and the politics of various English-speaking countries.
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