http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/31/murkowski-to-concede-source-says/Yeah, I know, CNN. But still, great news.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska conceded Tuesday night to Tea Party-backed candidate Joe Miller in the state's Republican Senate primary.
"We know that we still have outstanding votes to count in this primary, but based on where we are right now, I don't see a scenario where the primary will turn out in my favor," Murkowski told reporters in Anchorage. "I am now conceding the race for the Republican nomination."
She said she informed Miller of her decision, but didn't endorse him at her news conference and did not take questions from reporters.
According to unofficial results from the August 24 primary, Murkowski trailed Miller by 1,668 votes.
Tuesday, election officials began counting the thousands of absentee ballots, early votes, and questioned ballots that had yet to be tabulated. But by the end of counting Tuesday, Murkowski still trailed Miller by more than 1,600 votes.
"We started from a handful of people knowing who we were and what we stood for to now being the Republican Party nominee," Miller said in a statement released by his campaign.
Miller, a little-known attorney and a graduate of West Point and Yale Law School, was boosted by the endorsement and support of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, and by the backing of the Tea Party Express. Arguably the country's most high-profile national Tea Party organization, the group spent nearly $600,000 assisting Miller's campaign.
"[Sarah Palin] was right in her proclamation that Joe Miller was a first-rate candidate who offered a vision for the future of this country and how to return America to the right track," the Tea Party Express said in a statement.
