Convicted Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) conceded his race to Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D) Wednesday afternoon, less than 24 hours after the Associated Press declared the Democrat the winner. “Given the number of ballots that remain to be counted, it is apparent the election has been decided and Mayor Begich has been elected,” Stevens said in a statement. Begich led Stevens by 3,724 votes in the most recent count, completed Tuesday evening. Alaska election law would have allowed Stevens to request a recount at his own expense, but his campaign confirmed that he will not do so. “I am proud of the campaign we ran and regret that the outcome was not what we had hoped for,” Stevens continued. “I am deeply grateful to Alaskans for allowing me to serve them for 40 years in the U.S. Senate. It has been the greatest honor of my life to work with Alaskans of all political persuasions to make this state that we all love a better place.” Stevens is the longest-serving Republican in the Senate. He was convicted on seven felony charges at the end of October, but will appeal the decision in the coming months.