Doug Mataconis · · 6 comments

The battle between Joe Miller and Lisa Murkowski over Atlanta’s Alaska’s Senate seat effectively ended last night when Miller announced that he would not fight the state’s certification of the election results, meaning that Murkowski will be sworn in to a new term on January 5th. Nonetheless, Miller remains a sore loser:

Republican Senate candidate Joe Miller announced late Sunday that he would continue his challenge in federal court of the write-in election of rival Sen. Lisa Murkowski, but added he would not oppose certification of Murkowski’s victory by state election officials.

U.S. District Court Judge Ralph Beistline, who is hearing Miller’s federal challenge, had already said he would probably lift his order staying certification, allowing Murkowski to assume office Jan. 5 without losing seniority or leaving the state short a U.S. Senator. In a prepared statement e-mailed to the media about 10:20 p.m., Miller said he planned to go ahead with his federal lawsuit “for the sake of the integrity of the election.”

Miller initially challenged the Nov. 2 election in federal court, but Beistline ruled he had to go to state court first. Miller lost in state Superior Court, and the Alaska Supreme Court unanimously declared last week that the Superior Court had ruled correctly.