Huge Victory for Tea Party as Sen. Murkowski Concedes
EmailABC News' Amy Walter reports:
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) conceded her primary on Tuesday night to attorney Joe Miller (R), becoming the third Senate incumbent to lose a primary this year.
On Tuesday, election officials began counting some of the approximately 25,000 absentee ballots cast.
But after more than 15,000 were counted, Murkowski picked up only 35 votes and still trailed Miller by 1,630 votes.
Based on that data, Murkowski said, "I do not see a scenario where the primary will turn out in my favor. For that reason, and for the good of the State of Alaska, I am conceding the race for the Republican nomination."
Miller got significant financial support from the Tea Party Express and had the backing of ex-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R).
However, a number of key GOP insiders put the blame for the freshman senator's loss squarely at Murkowski's feet, arguing that she did not heed their warnings about the danger of not adequately responding to and defining Miller.
Murkowski has defended her campaign strategy and in her concession speech noted that she was "proud of the way we have conducted this campaign. We remained focused on the issues and in moving Alaska forward. "
Miller now faces Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams in the general election where he starts off as a strong favorite.
– Amy Walter
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“Bring out yer dead! Bring out yer dead!”
Posted by: CBA | September 1, 2010, 12:13 am 12:13 am
All our Democrats brothers and sisters should join the Alaska Senate race to send Palin the idiot to crushing defeat.
Please donate generously and volunteer vigorously for the our Alaska Democratic Party.
Posted by: ObamaTheGreat | September 1, 2010, 1:25 am 1:25 am
Now the Dems will have a senator in Alaska. Sweet.
Posted by: chas | September 1, 2010, 2:31 am 2:31 am
The GOP has become overrun with literal morons.
Posted by: usa guy | September 1, 2010, 5:31 am 5:31 am
It’s time to rid ourselves of both democrats and republicans. So far well done Alaska keep it up in November.
Posted by: hkdakota | September 1, 2010, 6:09 am 6:09 am
I love Palin, she terrorifies the dems and corrupt republicans both.
Posted by: IndependentVoice | September 1, 2010, 7:56 am 7:56 am
Good. Now the people of Alaska will have a choice between 2 relative unknowns.
One, a raving social conservative, the other, a reasoned moderate.
Considering their last choice of Republican, I suspect Alaskans will carefully consider their choice this time.
McAdams may be the change they are looking for.
Posted by: Wayne | September 1, 2010, 8:07 am 8:07 am
“The GOP has become overrun with literal morons.” – usa guy
And yet the GOP is still far more intelligent than the Demos.
Just goes to show how far down the once strong Democrat Party has sunk.
Posted by: Noz | September 1, 2010, 8:54 am 8:54 am
I think the Tea “party” might be more an idea than a political party. I find it fascinating that the left appears so concerned.
Posted by: LongT | September 1, 2010, 8:59 am 8:59 am
Deny it all you want , but the crushing defeat of incumbents is a message that we reject what is currently happening in washington. We will speak again in 2012
Posted by: sparko | September 1, 2010, 9:36 am 9:36 am
yet another step to move american back from the progressive far left
Posted by: sd92040 | September 1, 2010, 9:40 am 9:40 am
excellent we voted out another incumbent. you dont have to chnage party just replace the old guard. this will send a message that you better act in the honor of the people and not your party or a corrupt lobbyist
Posted by: jake | September 1, 2010, 9:57 am 9:57 am
The Tea Party Candidate– Like Sarah Palin — Have no qualms milking the Oil Companies in Alaska for a continual Revenue stream — Then Rant on about Socialist takeovers!!! What a joke — Alaska is the only State in the Union that sends a Redistribution Check to all its Citizens courtesy of the Oil Revenue– That sounds exactly like Socialism to me!!! Perhaps they should all send back their Socialist windfall the rest of the Union do not have— Hypocrites!!!!!!
Posted by: brian | September 1, 2010, 10:12 am 10:12 am
WOOHOO! Vote out the socialists and the RINOS who cater to them! The only way to repair the damage done to America is to stop electing middle of the road republicans. Vote conservative so we may save the country!
Posted by: rkm63 | September 1, 2010, 10:31 am 10:31 am
Polls I’ve seen still have Miller beating the Dem. LMAO!
Posted by: BK.70 | September 1, 2010, 10:40 am 10:40 am
I think the Tea “party” might be more an idea than a political party. I find it fascinating that the left appears so concerned.
Posted by: LongT | Sep 1, 2010 8:59:07 AM
I agree. Thats also why the Democrats FEAR Sarah Palin so much….Democrats are toast in November! I can’t WAIT to watch them go down, along with Obama in 2012!
Posted by: Becky | September 1, 2010, 10:49 am 10:49 am
The Tea Party an “idea”? The liberal swine and moderate RINO’s have a fundamental disconnect and misunderstanding of our constitutional republic: the people rule!
Down all incumbents in November! Send the message: No more career politicians! Serve 1 or 2 terms and get the hell out of Washington. Go back home and be productive!
Posted by: Tony | September 1, 2010, 11:05 am 11:05 am
The Tea Party supports “equal opportunity” separation from congress for deadbeats!!!
Posted by: TheLoyalOpposition | September 1, 2010, 11:22 am 11:22 am
Thanks to the press there is a misunderstanding. The press thinks that Mr. Miller won because of Sarah Palin and/or the “Tea Party”. The fact of the matter is this, Lisa Murkowski looked too much like an establishment Democrat. She was originally appointed to the job by her father and some how won the last election. I think the folks in our great state of Alaska have finally woken up. Mr. Miller should bring a breath of fresh air. Have a nice day everyone.
Posted by: alaskadad | September 1, 2010, 12:19 pm 12:19 pm
Reagan swept 49 states AFTER 4 miserable years with Carter! Will we see a 50 state defeat for Democrats this time around.
Posted by: Kala | September 1, 2010, 12:19 pm 12:19 pm
Maybe Miller and the Palins will get back together in their bid to secede Alaska from the Union. I doubt it will happen this time, either, but with these people you just know they will try.
Posted by: Wayne | September 1, 2010, 12:23 pm 12:23 pm
Yo, obamathegreat, the chance of McAdmams beating Miller are slim and none. Miller had more votes than all candidates in the Libertarian, Democrat parties COMBINED
chas, there is already a dem senator up here.
Posted by: DJ | September 1, 2010, 12:52 pm 12:52 pm
ObamaTheGreat,
Miller had more votes than all dem candidates combined
chas,
there is already a dem senator from AK
Posted by: DJ | September 1, 2010, 12:54 pm 12:54 pm
You see lefties. The silent majority is speaking. Even those reps who do not listen are booted out. Just think whats going to happen to the Dems. Major squash
Posted by: Jim Rod | September 1, 2010, 1:52 pm 1:52 pm
Cant we move up the presidential election to this year and just get all the trash out at one time? What a joke of an administration! It is like a bad soap opera it should be called “The dumb and the hopeless” !
Posted by: No Obama 12 | September 1, 2010, 2:17 pm 2:17 pm
This is just a sign of things to come! The democrats had their chance and blew it big time. The so-called “stimulus plan” cost us more than the Iraq war and was a total failure. They deserve the boot! Just wait until we defund obamacare, block amnesty, cap and trade and all of the other destructive programs espoused by the democrats. Good riddance!
Posted by: TEA Time | September 1, 2010, 2:50 pm 2:50 pm
Great!! The GOP is slowly committing suicide by lunacy. Good riddance!!!
Posted by: Jake | September 1, 2010, 3:06 pm 3:06 pm
Jake how do you come to that conclusion? Most of these Republican/ Conservative winners around the Country are getting more support than both of the Democratic competition combined in the same part of the country. This would tell me your Liberal tax and spend anti-American party is in trouble.
Posted by: No Obama 12 | September 1, 2010, 3:14 pm 3:14 pm
It’s a victory for every legal American citizen, not just the Tea Party.
Posted by: s | September 1, 2010, 4:32 pm 4:32 pm
I love Palin, she terrorifies the dems and corrupt republicans both.
==========================================
So…that is a reason to “love” someone….because they antagonize people? While Democrats have their issues Republicans have turned their party over to complete morons. No one in their right mind who truly loves this country could ever vote for those imbeciles. Alaska just proves my point that their is a great number of people in this country who have lost their collective minds.
Posted by: indy_voter | September 1, 2010, 4:57 pm 4:57 pm
Hey Washington Dems..A Sunami is heading your way but you are so stupid that you will drown even with a life vest.We told you but you did not listen in your arrogance.Too late, the wave is on it’s way…
Posted by: Frank | September 1, 2010, 5:47 pm 5:47 pm
Excellent, now Alaska won’t get so many federal dollars of mine. Lovin it.
Posted by: Jim Bob | September 1, 2010, 5:51 pm 5:51 pm
The GOP hasn’t written a strategy or even given a clear objective of anything it would do differently..why? Because they are currently lying about the balance of social security in an attempt to allow themselves to invest in Wall Street. So it’s just more of the same, despite the fact that 80% of Americans are against it. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out, just as some of us knew the economy would tank, and we would be in Iraq before Bush was ever even elected. America is about to reap what it sews. And if we aren’t any smarter, we deserve it.
Posted by: D | September 1, 2010, 7:01 pm 7:01 pm
Uh…excuse me …but shouldn’t we wait for the “fall results” to declare this a “huge” victory? I am sure the Democrats are “chomping at the bit” to take on this moron. LOL…LOl
Posted by: CND FOX | September 1, 2010, 7:39 pm 7:39 pm
Best news the Alaskan Democrats have heard for quite some time, it’s certainly better to be running against a right wing screwball idiot than a powerful long time incumbent.
Posted by: JR | September 1, 2010, 7:59 pm 7:59 pm
It won’t be a victory for the TP if Murkowski voters, AK Republicans who turned against Palin after she quit, moderates and independents join with Democrats. Handing a wackadoodle guy the nomination may hand the senatorship to a moderate Democrat, even in Alaska.
Posted by: windrider2 | September 1, 2010, 8:21 pm 8:21 pm
I listened to Barbara Boxer go at it with Carly Fiorina tonight, and she’s a dimwit. Hey California, Drop Your Boxer!! She’s a walking soundbite, almost Pelosi-esque in the way she struggled to stay on point. Incumbent ramblings. Bye bye, Boxer. (I hope)
Posted by: dbright | September 1, 2010, 11:21 pm 11:21 pm
As an independent voter I don’t have to bend over backwards to defend any party line or candidate. So, by an unbiased review of portfolios Palin is far more qualified than Obama.
Also, Palin recognizes the national debt as a crisis that cannot be resolved by continued deficits or minor tinkering.
I call Obama out on the debt, his budget only pays the interest on the debt and borrows 41 cents on the dollar to do that. Community organizers apparently are mathematically challenged.
If we were to apply the lauded new credit card minimum payment rules to the debt $520 billion in payment would be required in 2010 vice the $164-184 billion as budgeted. Now let’s do the math, with zero deficits and $520 billion in payment each year the debt would not be resolved until beyond year 2060.
Has anyone else done the math? I hope Gretchen Carlson has and calls Gibbs out on the debt with the poise and clarity she did on Iraq.
Posted by: Ed Taylor | September 2, 2010, 1:06 am 1:06 am
she was wavering whether to endorse some of obama’s policies, that was a recipe for failure.
Posted by: dot | September 2, 2010, 1:10 am 1:10 am
I love all the comments saying “Good, dems will get a seat in Alaska,” lol, which indicates they clearly failed to read the LAST SENTENCE IN THE POST.
Posted by: John Elgin | September 2, 2010, 1:56 am 1:56 am
Good news for the taliban party and bad news for the rest of America. How this extreme right-wing fascists, religious fanatics, racists an homophobics deceive simple-minded people with their demagogic populist speech. Hitler also got to power through elections. STOP FASCISM IN AMERICA!!
Posted by: Alastair | September 2, 2010, 4:16 am 4:16 am
Perhaps with a huge crushing Republican victory in Nov., I will no longer feel the democrats hand so deep in my pocket. I have been concerned about whether the libbies were feeling for my wallet, or maybe feeling for some of my body parts.
Posted by: Liberwhacker | September 2, 2010, 4:34 am 4:34 am
Weeding them out…one incumbant at a time.
Posted by: LongT | September 2, 2010, 8:21 am 8:21 am
“ed_taylor”…an “unbiased review of portfolios of Palin and the President”??? “ed” if you are serious about what you just said …I feel sorry for your inability to analyze “portfolios”. Because obviously you never included “worldy intelligence” into your “analyzation”. If on the other hand you are just intenially “misrepresenting” the facts … then I have absolutely no respect for you.
Posted by: CND FOX | September 2, 2010, 8:22 am 8:22 am
USA GUY: “The GOP has become overrun with literal morons.”————-the guy who won is an ivy league lawyer, West point graduate and decorated gulf war vet. But he’s the moron????
Posted by: Ltj.Dangle | September 2, 2010, 9:40 am 9:40 am
OK, I admit that Palin can help to get extremists, idiots and morons on the ticket, but are they who we want in power is the question?
Posted by: JR | September 2, 2010, 12:22 pm 12:22 pm
The Tea Party Candidate– Like Sarah Palin — Have no qualms milking the Oil Companies in Alaska for a continual Revenue stream — Then Rant on about Socialist takeovers!!! What a joke — Alaska is the only State in the Union that sends a Redistribution Check to all its Citizens courtesy of the Oil Revenue– That sounds exactly like Socialism to me!!! Perhaps they should all send back their Socialist windfall the rest of the Union do not have— Hypocrites!!!!!!
Posted by: brian | Sep 1, 2010 10:12:39 AM
Sounds like great asset management to me, something lacking in Washington today-Oh I ‘m sorry I forgot, they have a program too, steal it from me and you and then just give it to non-productive non-citizens.
Posted by: Gary38 | September 2, 2010, 1:16 pm 1:16 pm
Does this mean if Mr. Miller is a winner that the citizens in Alaska will give up their federal aid and other benefits?
Posted by: Ronn | September 2, 2010, 1:25 pm 1:25 pm