It has been confirmed that Sen. Ted Stevens was among the four who died in a plane crash near Dillingham last night.

Today, Bill Walker made the following statement:

“This is a tragic day for the Stevens’ family, the families of the others who perished in the crash and for Alaska.

“Stevens dedicated decades of service to Alaska. Our family has known Ted Stevens since the early 50′s in Fairbanks when he was my dad’s attorney. Now, even sixty years later, whenever Ted Stevens is in the same location as my 93 year old dad, Ed Walker, such as when he visits the Palmer Pioneer Home where my dad resides, Stevens always would go out of his way to greet and visit with ‘Big Ed’ as he fondly called him.

“All of my children have traveled with me to DC over the years and Sen. Stevens treated each one as a VIP leaving an indelible impression on each one. Gov. Hickel, Sen. Stevens and I worked together on a key piece of federal gas line legislation, the federal loan guarantee provision.

“When Steven’s wife Ann died in a plane crash in Anchorage in 1978, I was Mayor of Valdez. I remember well how Alaskans grieved that loss and today that sense of grief and loss is renewed as we mourn the passing of a statesman, a fighter, a fierce advocate and defender of Alaska.”