AK-Sen: Begich lead now 2,374 votes

Not only does it look as though Mark Begich is going to win a U.S. Senate seat, but the the count is now past the point where Ted Stevens would have to pay for a recount.

Begich, Mark          DEM  146286    47.56%
Bird, Bob                AI     12829       4.17%
Gianoutsos, Ted      NA    1334         0.43%
Haase, Fredrick D.   LIB   2398         0.78%
Stevens, Ted           REP   143912   46.79%
Write-in Votes                 828           0.27%

Begich was down about 3,000 votes on November 5; he's now up by nearly 2,400.

By Alaska law, Stevens has to pay for a recount if the margin is greater than 1,600 votes (the state will pay if it's under that). As provisional and absentee ballots have been counted, Begich has steadily gained on Stevens, and is now past the recount line.

It's looking very, very good for Mark Begich, who may even expand this lead when all is said and done.