Diane Benson, 2006 Democratic challenger to Alaska Congressman Don Young (she garnered 40% of the vote), commissioned a poll of the state (601 RVs, Oct. 27-11/2, MOE +/-4.9%) and the results are extremely encouraging for both Benson and her primary rival, Alaska House Minority Leader Ethan Berkowitz.

From Swing State Project:

Diane Benson (D): 45.3%
Don Young (R-inc): 36.7%
Undecided: 15.6%

Ethan Berkowitz (D): 49.7%
Don Young (R-inc): 35.1%
Undecided: 13.8%

Diane Benson (D): 45.0%
Gabriella LeDoux (R): 12.3%
Undecided: 38.2%

Ethan Berkowitz (D): 49.0%
Gabriella LeDoux (R):  13.8%
Undecided: 32.9%

You thought an incumbent below 50% was bad, this guy can't even rally 40%. Could Alaska have finally become fed up with corruption of its federal officials? TPM Muckraker takes us on a Don Young corruption trip down memory lane.

The feds are chasing Young for his ties to the corrupt oil company Veco (among other things), and he's already blown $450,000 in campaign funds on criminal defense lawyers. But it looks like investigators pulled out all the stops.

FBI agents recorded former Veco president Rick Smith's phone calls with Young, the AP reports today. In September, the AP reported that Veco's CEO Bill Allen had recorded his calls with Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK).

The Justice Department is investigating whether an Alaska oil contractor used golf tournaments to funnel cash to Rep. Don Young, people close to the corruption investigation said.... [T]he events at the Moose Run Golf Course just outside Anchorage were informal and the prizes were cash. There is no record of them on the campaign or personal financial reports that federal lawmakers are required to file.

And the list goes on.

As the noose begins to tighten and as more poll numbers showing Young vulnerable emerge, a Young retirement becomes more and more likely. Certainly Young is on everyone's retirement watch lists but it's interesting to note that here the Democrats trounce the untainted Republican running against Young for the nomination. Is this really the state of Alaska's Republican bench? Assuming Young is the nominee, though, Charlie Cook calls the race to represent this extremely Republican state (PVI R+14) as "Leans Republican," one step removed from "Toss-up."

Who'll be running as the Republican nominee isn't the only uncertainty, of course. As for the race between the Democrats, Berkowitz currently leads Benson by about 8% with more than a 1/3 of Alaska voters undecided. No doubt we can expect AK-AL to be the home of one of the tighter primary and general election races in the country next year.