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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Miller’s lead slims in Alaska

Sen. Lisa Murkowski said  she was waiting for absentee votes to be counted.  (Associated Press)
Mcclatchy

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Joe Miller’s lead over Sen. Lisa Murkowski in the Republican primary slightly narrowed to 1,668 votes with all the election precincts counted on Wednesday. A stunned Murkowski said she is not giving up hope until absentee ballots are counted starting next week.

“It ain’t over yet, folks,” Murkowski said at her campaign headquarters in Anchorage. “There are thousands of absentees that are yet to come in.”

Miller was driving the seven hours on the Parks Highway from Anchorage to his hometown of Fairbanks on Wednesday and not doing interviews, despite a flood of requests.

Miller was leading with 47,027 votes to 45,359 for Murkowski after the final precincts results came in late Wednesday afternoon. Murkowski said she was optimistic absentee ballots would turn it around.

More than 16,000 absentees were requested from the Division of Elections, and about 7,600 of them have been returned.