Local column: A Republican's view on the days after election

Heading into election night on Tuesday, I had a mixed sense of trepidation and calm.

I expected Barack Obama and Joe Biden to win the nation's two highest offices given their surge in recent weeks against the backdrop of serious economic woes facing the country and world. It's always difficult for members of the party in power to win when overall economic conditions are tough, but President Bush's reputation and resultant poll numbers fairly torpedoed John McCain and Sarah Palin's best efforts.

In every political system the pendulum must reasonably be expected to swing back and forth; this was probably time for it to swing left. A concomitant truth is that things can only go so far left before reversing direction, returning to the center and heading right. Obama is a highly intelligent man with good intentions. McCain's touchingly gracious, sincere concession suggests to all Americans that we must give the incoming administration a chance. That's not to say we won't have serious differences as to how to accomplish many of the goals we all share. As an Alaskan I'm grateful that Palin will be back among us to continue making the Last Frontier a better place as she courageously did for the first two years of her first term as governor.

Despite concern about the presidential race, when Alaska numbers started coming in, my confidence in my fellow Alaskans and our future skyrocketed. With a third of precincts reporting, Ted Stevens and Don Young were ahead, and I knew that Alaskans were refusing to vote in obeisance to conventional wisdom. Had Stevens succumbed to the pressure of national Democrats - or those here in Alaska who won't gratefully accept all he's done for Alaska - he might have stepped down and let Mark Begich take his place. He chose not to do so, and by all appearances he now stands re-elected. His legal appeal will be a tough battle, but he has the tenacity and fortitude to win such a fight. If and when he decides to leave the Senate, Alaskans will carefully consider who ought best to replace him.

Despite what some say, I don't think two-thirds of the Senate will deny Stevens the right to continue serving Alaskans as we have collectively asked him to do. Whatever happens, Stevens probably won't be succeeded by Begich or any member of his political party. Begich is a nice fellow, and I wish him no ill will, but he clearly couldn't seize on the political opportunity of a lifetime to win a Senate seat, so perhaps it's time for him to consider a different future.

Young's convincing lead over Ethan Berkowitz may seem surprising at first blush, but if you look at Young's political history, it isn't. Like Begich, Berkowitz is smart and ambitious, but he clearly failed to connect with Alaskans. His relatively short time in the state may partially explain this, but the blanket "independent" advertising (paid for by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) trumpeting unsubstantiated allegations of wrongdoing, worked against him. Similar Outside public-relations efforts in the Republican primary failed to boost Sean Parnell over Young, who will now return to Washington. Whatever the future holds for Young, Alaskans have said "no" to Berkowitz.

Closest to home, here in Juneau, I was extremely happy and relieved to learn that Cathy Muñoz will be representing District 4 in the State House. Juneau residents owe the outgoing incumbent, Andrea Doll, a sincere "thank you" for her two years of service, but it is not hard to see why she was not asked to continue serving. Muñoz's commitment to turning around Juneau's declining economic picture - from meaningful, sincere support for the Kensington Mine and the Lynn Canal Highway, to proactive concern for our Southeast neighbors' well-being - contrasts starkly with Doll's unremarkable two-year track record and her questionable affiliations with Outside environmental groups.

I expect Doll will handily find other ways in which to serve her friends and neighbors in Juneau, while Muñoz will quickly set about improving Juneau's position in the state Legislature and continue to achieve her many important goals.

Sen. Kim Elton will cease to be Legislative Council chairman in the 26th Alaska Legislature even if he remains part of a Senate Majority Coalition. Rep. Beth Kerttula will likely return to her post as House Minority Leader but not realize her long-held ambition of becoming speaker. Having Muñoz in the House Majority means Juneau will have an advocate who can effectively interact with Palin and Republicans from across Alaska on Juneau's behalf, which is good for all of us.

• Ben Brown is co-chairman of the Juneau Republican Party.