In 2010, incumbent and write-in candidate Lisa Murkowski defeated the Republican nominee for Senate, Joe Miller, with 40% of the vote (100,000 votes) to Miller's 35% (90,000 votes) and Democrat Scott McAdams's 25% (60,000 votes).  The poor showing of McAdams was a result of underfunding ($100,000 total) and a realization by Alaskan Democrats, led by Democratic U.S. senator Mark Begich, that the race was really between Miller and Murkowski.  For his own purposes, principally his chances of winning re-election in 2014, Begich preferred Murkowski to Miller.  He had served with her in the Senate for two years and had developed a mutually beneficial relationship with her.  As a liberal Republican, she was close to Begich, a moderate Democrat, ideologically, and they shared many common political interests in Alaska.  When he ran for re-election in 2014, Begich touted their close working relationship to such an extent that Murkowski was forced to publicly...(Read Full Article)