With just under half of precincts reporting, Sen. Murkowski claimed 51 percent of the vote, and a six percent lead over her Democratic challenger. But experts from every camp agree that the final tally from votes cast today won’t determine the election- a record setting 60,000 absentee ballots still need to be counted.

Alaska is a state of extremes—wildest, largest, darkest—and the 2004 senate race is certainly following suit.

This is the tightest, most expensive Senate race Alaskans can remember, and according to some, has the highest stakes. Today's election could mark the first time Alaskans elect a woman to the Senate. But if she loses, it will be the first time in more than 20 years that they elect a Democrat.

The race pits Republican incumbent and two-time Alaska Legislature representative Lisa Murkowski against Tony Knowles, a popular two-term Democratic governor who was replaced in office in 2002 by Murkowski's father, Gov. Frank Murkowski.

Gov. Murkowski made US History when he appointed his daughter to fill his vacated Senate seat after the 2002 election. Lisa Murkowski's selection by her father became one of the hottest topics of the campaign this year, with Democrats charging that her candidacy is based on nepotism.

The “nepotism issue,” has failed to mellow over the course of her two year Senate career, and has spawned bumper stickers that read: “Yo, Lisa! Who’s your Daddy?”

One in twelve Alaskans—50,000 people—including Knowles, signed a petition, which would require Alaskan Senators to be elected to their seats.

That initiative, which received the most signatures in the least amount of time of any ballot initiative in state history, will also appear on the ballot when voters decide between Murkowski and Knowles.

Gov. Murkowski’s claims to be uninvolved in his daughter’s campaign, despite giving $100,000 left over from his own days in the US Senate to the Republican Party of Alaska, on September 17.

“The Governor has been focused on developing our natural resources, creating a stable economy and the creation of jobs. He has not been involved in this campaign,” according to his Press Secretary, Becky Hultberg.

The day before the elections, both sides admit that the race is too close to call.

“I don’t expect to know anything Tuesday night,” said Matt McKenna, Tony Knowles’ Press Secretary. “The absentee ballots will be counted by November 17th. It’s going to be quite a while.”

Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, currently one of the most powerful Senators in the country, has weighed in heavily on the campaign since the House broke for the year.

The stakes for Stevens are high; he could lose key Chair positions on several important committees if the Democrats gain control of the House in 2004. “This is the toughest race he has ever been involved in,” according to his Press Secretary, Courtney Schikora.

Sen. Murkowski is “possibly the best partner Stevens has worked with, ever,” said Schikora, explaining Stevens’ aggressive campaigning. Alaskans report receiving up to 20 calls a night relating to this tight Senate race, including personal calls from former First Lady Barbara Bush and Stevens.

“It’s been a terrorist campaign,” said Yvonne Demetriff, an Information Technology worker in Anchorage. “Stevens has been saying that we won’t get any more federal money if we elect Tony Knowles. It’s been horrible.”

Gerry McBeath, a professor of Political Science at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, dismissed claims that this election is particularly nasty. “Nastiness is part of American campaigning,” he said. “In high stakes races, people leave no stone unturned, no shot unfired.”

With 34 Senate seats up for election, Republicans are fighting hard to maintain their control over the House, and Sen. Murkowski’s campaign strategy has been simple—Elect more Republicans. Tony Knowles may be pro-development, they say, but if he gets elected he will kowtow to the Democrats on the hill.

“To assume that Democrats will have control of the Senate if they win Alaska is ludicrous,” according to McKenna. “In order to control the Senate, the Democrats would need to win everywhere.”

Knowles, who is in favor of opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling, is running on a more complex platform: he claims to be willing to stand up to his party and work successfully across party lines for the interests of Alaskans. Democrats point to his willingness to sue the Clinton administration over several key land issues, and the fact that Murkowski has voted with her party 94 percent of the time.

Alaska has a little less than 470,000 registered voters, up from 460,000 in 2000. Of these, around 117,000 are registered Republican, compared with 71,000 Democrats and 34,000 voters affiliated with third parties. But by far the vast majority of Alaskan voters are registered independent (over 176,000) or non-partisan (69,505). More than 60,000 absentee ballots had been turned in to the Department of Elections as of October 28.

Murkowski and Knowles have faced off in numerous debates, with mixed results. Some Democrats say that Knowles outshines Murkowski in his appearances because of his extensive experience in government; Republicans call a tie, saying both candidates make their points clearly.

Demetriff has a different take. “Lisa comes off as more polished, but that’s working against her,” said Demetriff. “If you’re not walking around in dirty Carharrts and muddy boots with a cracked windshield, we’re suspicious of you. Tony is like the hometown boy.”