The story states "Kelly was elected to the House of Representatives in 2004 and served as a Republican lawmaker until 2010".  In reality, legislators don't begin and end their service coincidental with elections.  They start and end their terms in January of odd-numbered years following the election.  Unless they resign, lame-duck members serve until the next legislature is sworn in during January.  In the state of Alaska, this has always been the case;  the understanding of such dates to a 1949 court ruling on an illegal special session of the territorial legislature called by Governor Gruening.  Is there any reason why the media so consistently disregards that and appears to apply their own definition?