Stevens falls behind in Alaska vote count

JUNEAU, Alaska, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Ballot counting in Alaska indicates U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, has fallen slightly behind Democratic challenger Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich.

Leading by more than 3,200 votes in an initial count after Election Day, Stevens fell behind Begich by 814 votes after about 57,000 additional ballots were counted Wednesday, The New York Times reported Thursday.

About 279,000 votes have been counted in the Senate race and about 35,000 more remain to be counted, the Times said. The count could be completed next week.

Stevens, the Senate's longest-serving Republican, was convicted eight days before the election on seven felony counts of failing to disclose more than $250,000 in gifts he received.

In Alaska's U.S. House of Representatives race, Republican Rep. Don Young was declared winner Wednesday, with 50 percent of the vote, to 45 percent for Democratic candidate Ethan Berkowitz.