Alaska (6/1/06)

Ted Stevens, the President Pro Tem. of the Senate, will be 84 in 2008. That said, he is one of the Senate's most colorful members in a bad way. Notoriously mean, he is surprisingly popular in his homestate. He will probably run for reelection, but if he doesn't, look for Congressman Don Young to run. Young has served in the House for 34 years, but will only be 75 in 2008. The Democratic primary totally depends on the outcome of this year's gubernatorial election. If former Governor Tony Knowles (D) wins, then he will obviously not be a contender in 2008. If he loses to Murkowski, he (Knowles) will probably run in 2008. In 2004, he lost his senate race to Lisa Murkowski. Another Democratic candidate will probably be State Representative Eric Croft, also running for governor this year. Knowles is a much stronger candidate than Croft, but Croft could still do well in the race. Alaska is a famously Republican state, but Stevens' crankiness could wear Alaskans down. This will be close, but not one of the more competitive races in 2008.

Potential GOP Candidates: Senator Ted Stevens (http://stevens.senate.gov/)
Congressman Don Young (http://www.house.gov/donyoung/)

Potential Dem Candidates: State Representative Eric Croft (http://www.ericcroft.com/)
Former Governor Tony Knowles (http://www.tonyknowles.com/)

Current Rating: Weak GOP