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Begich Leads Stevens by 814 Votes in Alaska U.S. Senate Race

Nov. 13 -- Democratic challenger Mark Begich leads by 814 votes in his bid to oust incumbent Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, according to the state's elections division.

Alaska is still counting absentee ballots from the Nov. 4 election. Anchorage Mayor Begich had been trailing Stevens by 3,257 votes until state officials started counting approximately 90,000 absentee ballots yesterday, a process that may stretch in to next week.

Begich now leads Stevens 132,196 votes to 131,382 votes, according to the Alaska Division of Elections Web site.

Officials counted approximately 50,000 ballots yesterday and may finish counting the remaining 40,000 tomorrow, according to Jonathan O'Quinn, an elections program manager.

Stevens, 84, was convicted in federal court last month of failing to report $250,000 in gifts from an Alaska oil services company. He is the longest-serving Republican in the U.S. Senate.

The race is one of three Senate contests still undecided more than a week after the election. A recount is under way in Minnesota and a Georgia contest will be decided by a runoff next month.