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Senator Begich Targeted as Vulnerable in 2014
National media IDs Alaska's junior U.S. Senator as target for Republicans
By Bill McAllister
ANCHORAGE - U.S. Senator Mark Begich has been identified by two political websites as the most vulnerable Democrat who has to stand for reelection in 2014.
Both the Daily Kos and Politico called Begich's seat a winnable one for Republicans, in part because of his narrow margin of victory in 2008 against the late Ted Stevens, who had just been convicted in a public corruption trial.
Speculation about Begich’s potential Republican opponent has included two Dan Sullivans (the mayor of Anchorage and the state commissioner of natural resources), Lieutenant Governor Mead Treadwell and Governor Sean Parnell.
But Begich says he's not thinking about it much.
"As I did four years ago, I mean, I think they considered me an underdog then. I think there's always -- I’ve never run easy races; they're always tough. And i expect some folks nationally just look at the map and they think, oh, maybe Alaska’s winnable. But I think Alaskans will do what they've done every year in elections; they'll pick who they want, based on what's good for Alaska."
The Dan Sullivans and Treadwell did not respond to messages seeking comment. Governor Parnell said in an interview in election night that he is likely to run for re-election in 2014.
