Candidates make final push before Election Day

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The clock is ticking for undecided voters as Alaskans head to the polls Tuesday. Candidates for the U.S. Senate and Alaska Governor, along with their supporters, gathered at busy intersections around Anchorage Monday evening to make a last minute push to get their names out.

The candidates have been scrutinized and under a spotlight for weeks, but in the final few hours leading up to the election, Alaska's three leading U.S. Senate hopefuls hope they don't fade away.   

Last week, critics accused Joe Miller's campaign of crumbling after he admitted to past mistakes while working as a federal magistrate in Fairbanks, but on a street in downtown Anchorage loud horns and over fifty sign waivers prove there is still support for this republican primary winner.

“It's going really well, look at all these people out here. I mean we feel it all across the state,” said Miller.

“He answers the questions straight up and honest. Sometimes that gets him in trouble, as well as helps, but if you notice the other two are responding to his ideas not bringing ideas of their own,” said Miller supporter Mark Fish.

“I'm going to fight harder than I've ever fought before to make sure that our resources are open so that we can create jobs and the economy doesn't go upside down,” Miller said.
Across town, Scott McAdams, Miller's Democratic opponent, says his campaign continues to pick up speed.  

 “They say a Democrat in Alaska has to work twice as hard to win. We believe we've been working three times as hard in a three-way race,” said McAdams.

At an afternoon press conference, McAdams said incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Miller are so focused on feuding with each other that they've forgotten what's at stake.

According to McAdams, if Alaskans vote with their values, he will win.   

“If Joe's view of the world is your view of the world, vote for Joe Miller. If Lisa Murkowski and her kind of corporate-Republican view of the world is your view, then vote for Lisa. If our campaign and what we stand for is your view of the world, vote for me,” McAdams said.
   
The Murkowski campaign is working to make its mark in the history books.      

“History has proven when you tell Alaskans they can't do something, it makes them want to fight more and make it happen,” said Murkowski Spokesperson Steve Wackowski.
    
Murkowski's campaign spent several weeks educating voters about how to successfully vote for a write-in candidate.    


“We've got the wrist bands, the stickers, the cards, the jingles. I think we've done a pretty good job to educate the voter on the process,” Wackowski said.

Voting takes place Tuesday, but the candidates are gearing up for what could be days of ballot counting.

Republican Gov. Sean Parnell may be on his second year in office, but this is his first election to the job after having stepped in for former-Gov. Sarah Palin.

Democratic Candidate Ethan Berkowitz thinks he's ready for the job and has run an aggressive campaign to prove it.
Having run for office a few times in the past, Berkowitz knows a few things about the final hours before an election.

“You need to work all the way through to eight o'clock tomorrow night, don't take anything for granted. You give it your all,” said Berkowitz.

Berkowitz says he thinks his campaign is gaining momentum from supporters of Murkowski who are unhappy about Parnell's support for Miller.

After spending the weekend rallying supporters on a bus trip, Parnell says he's ready for the campaigning to be done so he can get back to business.

“I've tried to raise the level of discussion. I've tried to keep it on the issues. I've tried to present comparisons and contrast between the two of us, avoided the name calling, avoided the negative stuff,” Parnell said.

Another race to watch is in Muldoon, where Republican Gabrielle LeDoux, a former lawmaker from Kodiak, is trying to unseat one term Democratic House Representative Pete Petersen.

Polls open Tuesday morning at 7:00 a.m.