Joe Miller: We Haven't Seen The Last Of Him Yet
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Just when we thought we'd seen the last of him, Joe Miller has found a way back into the public eye.
Miller filed an appeal Monday in his lawsuit over the vote count in the Alaska Senate race where he's challenging how write-in votes for his opponent, write-in candidate Lisa Murkowski, were counted.
On Dec. 10, a lower court ruled against his claims, which include improper overcounting of write-in votes for his opponent, a failure to count votes for him and possible voter fraud.
Tom Diemer of Politics Daily writes, "Miller is challenging Murkowski's apparent victory in state court, asking that a judge set a single standard of review for all of the write-in ballots cast on Nov. 3. But even if all of the ballots challenged by Miller's observers were thrown out, Murkowski would still hold a 2,169 vote edge."
Arguments are scheduled to begin Friday in the Alaska Supreme Court.
Murkowski has declared victory and called on Miller to concede.
"It's time to end this. It's time to say that the election is over," she said.
The AP reports, "The [Friday] ruling marks a victory for Murkowski, who sought to become the first U.S. Senate candidate since 1954 to win as a write–in. Senators are scheduled to be sworn in Jan. 5, and the legal dispute has thrown into doubt whether someone from this race will be included. Murkowski's attorneys have argued that her seniority is at risk if she isn't sworn in then."
Miller gained popularity last spring after Sarah Palin and the Tea Party rallied behind him. He would go on to beat Murkowski in the Republican primary in an upset.
But the Republican Party left the candidate in the dust when he began falling to Murkowski in the polls in the days leading up to the election.
Miller has been linked to all kinds of shenangians including:
- A mysterious voicemail that somehow connected the former candidate, a child molester, Sarah Palin, CBS and an Alaska news station
- A bizarre Halloween ad attacking Murkowski
- An incident involving his security guards arresting a journalist at a town hall event
But the state may not have one of its senators until the case is settled.
Becky Bohler of the AP reports, "The legal challenge has left the Senate seat in limbo just one month before the race's winner is scheduled to be sworn in. If the fight drags on, Alaska could be left with only one senator until the dispute is resolved. That means the next Senate would be a 99-member body as it returns to take up important matters like tax cuts."
To reach editor-in-chief Callie Schweitzer, click here.
To follow her on Twitter: @cschweitz
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