Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, a Democrat, has officially defeated longtime U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) after late absentee ballots were counted yesterday. There are plenty of places to read about the political implications, but I just want to point out the fact that two names originating from the Iron Range now decorate U.S. Senate offices: Begich and Klobuchar.
Begich is the nephew of former State Rep. and current Iron Range Resources citizen board member Joe Begich (DFL-Eveleth). Begich’s father Nick, who was originally from the Iron Range, was Alaska’s last Democratic Congressman, who died in a plane crash with the Speaker of the House Hale Boggs. Alaska is a strange state, politically speaking, and you should read about this unresolved story if you’ve never heard it. Nick Begich was one of many Minnesotans who flocked to the pioneer country of Alaska in the ’50s, ’60s and beyond, giving Sarah Palin the accent we all got to know during the last election.
Meantime, our U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s dad Jim is from the Iron Range, where her grandfather worked the underground mines on the Vermilion Range. This means the Iron Range is just 98 seats away from total domination of the U.S. Senate.
I talked about this on KAXE this morning with Scott Hall. Go to the “KAXE Live” button and listen to the last part of the 6:30-6:45 a.m. section and the first part of the 6:45-7 a.m. section. for Nov. 19.
UPDATE: The Mesabi Daily News talked to Joe Begich about his nephew’s election to the Senate.
Not only do we now have Mark Begich and Amy Klobuchar in the U.S. Senate, both with Yugoslavian roots on the Iron Range, but there is also Tom Harkin, whose mother was a Slovenian immigrant from the Range! Three out of 100. Not bad, Iron Range.
Only 57 more and we have a filibuster-proof Range majority!
I must edit my previous comment. I recently learned that Tom Harkin’s mother, a Slovenian immigrant, is from Pennsylvania, not the Iron Range. Bad editor! Bad editor! I was told she was from the Iron Range from someone I trusted. Good thing I didn’t publish it in a news story! However, this question of Harkin’s mother’s hometown is still up in the air, as I have not verified this new tidbit either. So please, just ignore me!
It happens. I’m just glad I didn’t go broadcasting it without checking myself. 🙂
Hey, Pennsylvanian Slovenians are still pretty cool. I read a book once (out of print now) called “From these Furnaces” about the area south of Pittsburgh. Very Range-like.