Alaska’s Republican Senate hopeful Joseph (Joe) W. Miller has conceded the Alaska U.S. Senate election after withdrawing his objection to his opponent’s certification.
Miller, a Republican, opposed Democratic nominee Scott McAdams. Miller defeated incumbent U.S. Sen. Linda Murkowski in the Republican primaries.
Despite losing the primary, Murkowski decided to enter the race as a write-in candidate, making it a highly unusual election. Miller, who had the backing of the Republican party and was the favored son of the Alaskan Tea Party, lost the race to write-in candidate Murkowski.
Miller contested 8,159 ballots that the Alaskan Division of Elections counted, despite challenges to their validity. The votes were also hand counted, not according to the regulations requiring machine counting for write-in ballots using an OCR scanner.
Miller appealed to the Alaskan Division of Elections, and in November to the U.S. District Court in Alaska, which was sent back for the state court to adjudicate the merits of the case for state election laws. An appeal to the Alaska Supreme Court was turned down on all claims on December 23. On December 28, the United States District Court of Alaska turned down Miller’s appeal.
Despite this, Miller did not accept defeat and has contested the count, requesting that there be a recount with further scrutiny as required by the election regulations, which he claims were not followed, according to his petition to the United States District Court of Alaska.
On December 26, Miller said in a statement that he would not oppose Murkowski’s certification as the winner. However, the statement also indicated he would continue seeking alternatives.
“..we are evaluating the ruling and determining what our next step should be,” stated Miller in a later press release, who will hold a press conference in Anchorage on Friday. Miller said on his website that his Friday press conference will address his plans and ”whether he will pursue a federal appeal or state election contest.”
Only two prior Senate write-in candidates over the past 200-plus years have been elected to the U.S. Senate. Democrat Strom Thurmond in South Carolina’s 1954 election and Republican William Knowland was elected in 1946 to the U.S. Senate from California, for a two-month term.
Miller, a Republican, opposed Democratic nominee Scott McAdams. Miller defeated incumbent U.S. Sen. Linda Murkowski in the Republican primaries.
Despite losing the primary, Murkowski decided to enter the race as a write-in candidate, making it a highly unusual election. Miller, who had the backing of the Republican party and was the favored son of the Alaskan Tea Party, lost the race to write-in candidate Murkowski.
Miller contested 8,159 ballots that the Alaskan Division of Elections counted, despite challenges to their validity. The votes were also hand counted, not according to the regulations requiring machine counting for write-in ballots using an OCR scanner.
Miller appealed to the Alaskan Division of Elections, and in November to the U.S. District Court in Alaska, which was sent back for the state court to adjudicate the merits of the case for state election laws. An appeal to the Alaska Supreme Court was turned down on all claims on December 23. On December 28, the United States District Court of Alaska turned down Miller’s appeal.
Despite this, Miller did not accept defeat and has contested the count, requesting that there be a recount with further scrutiny as required by the election regulations, which he claims were not followed, according to his petition to the United States District Court of Alaska.
On December 26, Miller said in a statement that he would not oppose Murkowski’s certification as the winner. However, the statement also indicated he would continue seeking alternatives.
“..we are evaluating the ruling and determining what our next step should be,” stated Miller in a later press release, who will hold a press conference in Anchorage on Friday. Miller said on his website that his Friday press conference will address his plans and ”whether he will pursue a federal appeal or state election contest.”
Only two prior Senate write-in candidates over the past 200-plus years have been elected to the U.S. Senate. Democrat Strom Thurmond in South Carolina’s 1954 election and Republican William Knowland was elected in 1946 to the U.S. Senate from California, for a two-month term.
