In the next seven days, no less than eight large American cities will pick mayors. As Governing. com writes: "Big city mayors often are rising political stars, generally command powerful political machines and invariably make important policy decisions. The national media ignores them almost entirely. So, it comes as no surprise that no one has noticed that we're about to enjoy a splendid week of mayoral elections. Voters in eight of the nation's sixty-five most populous cities will elect new mayors over the next week." For an excellent rundown by Josh Goodman, click here.

The Associated Press has declared Democrat Mark Begich the victor in the US Senate contest against Republican incumbent Ted Stevens.

Critical numbers are due later today for the Alaska US Senate race: "Though elections officials in Alaska may be counting additional ballots for a few more days, the updated vote tally at the end of the day on Tuesday could move the contested race between Senator Ted Stevens and Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich closer to conclusion. Gail Fenumiai, the Alaska elections chief, said that her office planned to release an updated unofficial count by the end of the day on Tuesday, but cautioned that more ballots will be counted on Nov. 25." Democrat Mark Begich now holds a lead of more than 1,000 votes over incumbent Republican Senator Ted Stevens. Many of the remaining balots come from areas favorable to the Democrat.

The majority of votes remaining to be counted in Alaska are from districts and precincts that generally favor the Democrat, Mark Begich. he now holds a 814 lead over Republican incumbent Ted Stevens, a lead that is likely to grown in the coming days.

With Democrat Mark Begich rapidly pulling into the lead in the Alaska US Senate race--he now has an advantage over incumbent Ted Stevens of more than 800 votes--it is likely that the Democrat will continue to make up ground as absentee ballots and ballots from remote parts of the state are counted. Republican, though, believe Stevens will prevail, claiming that historical voting patterns among absentee voters favored Stevens. Begich points to the concerted effort he has made to win early and absentee voters.

Alaska Senate: Begich (d) Narrows The Gap With Stevens (r), Now Leads By Three Votes. On Election Night, Republican Ted Stevens, convicted US Senator from Alaska, lead his Democratic opponent Mark Begich by 3,000 votes. Vote counting can be very slow in Alaska, given the remote location of some voters, sporadic mail delivery, and absentee ballots that can take as much as 15 days to arrive at election headquarters. Early results from this afternoon's ballot counting in the Alaska U.S. Senate race show Begich dramatically narrowing the gap with Stevens, according to the Anchorage Daily News. With tens tens of thousands of ballots left to count and even more next week . . . the latest numbers show Stevens' lead is down to 3 votes. "The new numbers, reflecting nearly 43,000 absentee ballots counted today, are from all over the state." For more on the Alaska vote count click here.

The results of the three uncalled US Senate races may not be known for a while. In Georgia, Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss failed to reach the 50% + 1-vote threshold and is headed for a run-off with his Democratic challenger. In Minnesota, Republican incumbent Norm Coleman hangs on to a 700-vote lead. Yhe race is headed for a run-off (but given the state's use of optical scan voting technology, one of the most accurate, Al Franken may not be able to make up the difference). And in the Alaska contest, Republican incumbent (and convicted felon) Ted Stevens hangs on to a small lead. The race awaits a full count and certification by the state.

The balance in the new US Senate as of this morning: 57-DEM, 40-REP, 3-TCTC. In a photo-finish in the US Senate race in Oregon, Democrat Jeff Merkley (D) has defeated Republican Gordon Smith. The race in Alaska leans towards recently convicted Republican Senator Ted Stevens in his race against Democratic challenger Mike Begich. (If Steven's resigns or is booted from the Senate, whic is likely, Governor Sarah Palin must order a special election to fill the vacant seat. The big question: Will Palin herself run for the job?) Saxby Chambliss, Republican incumbent in Georgia, may not reach the required 50% +1 vote to avoid a runoff. And Norm Coleman, Republican of Minnesota, holds onto a paper-thin 700 vote lead against challenger Al Franken. Coleman's lead, as tiny as it is, may be enough to keep him in the US Senate.