Mark Begich

U.S. Senator-elect Jeff Merkley (D-Portland) is currently considered the country’s 57th and most recent Democratic Senator-elect after slow ballot counting kept Oregonians on the edge of their seats for several days after theElection.

But Merkley may no longer be the body’s latest Senator-elect. According to Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan, the GOP may be ceding a Senate race in Alaska to Mark Begich (D-Alaska), where the state is still wading through ballots.

Senate candidate Jeff MerkleySpeaker Jeff Merkley's US Senate campaign received some support from New York Senator Hillary Clinton today.  Sending an email out to supporters asking for cash to support the Merkley campaign she opens up by stating, "Sixty is the magic number."  Meaning once Democrats have a sixty-member majority in the senate they will be able to "end GOP obstruction once and for all."