Jeanne Shaheen

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.

U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley (D-Portland) was enthusiastic about Saturday's announcement that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama chose U.S. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) as his vice presidential running mate.

Oregon House Speaker and U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley (D-Portland) will be addressing the Democratic National Convention, according to the convention’s organizers.