Democratic Sen. Mark Begich conceded the Senate race in Alaska to Republican Dan Sullivan on Monday, ensuring the GOP will have at least 53 seats in the U.S. Senate when the new Congress is sworn in next month.
Mr. Begich, first elected in 2008, was one of a handful of vulnerable Democratic incumbents running for re-election in red states this year and said in a statement he encouraged Mr. Sullivan “to adopt a bipartisan resolve in the Senate.”
“Alaska is ill-served by the partisan fights that don’t reflect our state’s unique needs and priorities,” Mr. Begich said.
In a statement, Mr. Sullivan said he thanked Begich for his service and the two agreed on the importance of a smooth transition process.
“The responsibility of representing and serving Alaskans comes first,” Mr. Sullivan said. “I look forward to doing the job that Alaskans elected me to do, and to begin the process of turning our country around and building a brighter future for Alaska.”
Mr. Sullivan led by about 8,100 votes on election night and had a lead of about 6,200 as of mid-afternoon Monday. The AP had called the race for Mr. Sullivan last week.
SEE ALSO: Democrats abandoning embattled Sen. Mary Landrieu in Louisiana runoff
With Alaska’s election in the books, the one outstanding Senate race is the Dec. 6 run-off in Louisiana between Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu and GOP Rep. Bill Cassidy, in which Ms. Landrieu faces an uphill climb with national Democratic campaign groups appearing hesitant to put money in the race.
But Ms. Landrieu was optimistic Monday night she would have the necessary votes to advance legislation in the Senate authorizing the Keystone XL pipeline, according to CNN, which could serve as an example of a theme she’s stressed on the campaign trail: that Louisianans benefit from her clout and influence.
The argument took a bit of a hit, however, once it was clear Republicans would be in the majority in January and she would lose her energy committee chairmanship. The House cleared another Keystone bill last week — sponsored by Mr. Cassidy — and anything that clears both chambers still faces a possible veto from President Obama.
• The Associated Press contributed to this article.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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