The longest serving Republican Senator in history, and a revered icon in Alaska, Senator Ted Stevens, has lost his bid for re-election. Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, a Democrat, was declared the winner after opening a lead on Stevens that could not be overcome with the ballots yet to be counted. Stevens was recently convicted of seven felony counts with regards to unreported gifts, and was likely to be expelled from the Senate in any case.

With the victory of Mayor Begich the Democrats will have a caucus that numbers 58, including two independents. With two races still open (in Georgia and Minnesota) the Democrats could conceivably end up with sixty senate seats, which has not happened since 1978.