After two weeks of counting, they’re finally calling the Alaska Senate race for Democrat Mark Begich.
This marks the end of an 40-year Senate career for Republican Ted Stevens, who is marks his 85th birthday today. Long a thorn in the side of enviros, the loss comes after he was convicted of lying on Senate disclosure forms in order to conceal home renovations and other gifts he received from the oil-field engineering firm VECO Corp. and its CEO.
Begich, the current mayor of Anchorage, is the first Democrat elected to Congress from Alaska in nearly 30 years. His win puts the Senate Democratic caucus up to 58 members.
Grist talked to Begich in July about his energy and environmental plans. Watch below:
