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FAIRBANKS — Outside special interest groups are making their presence known in Alaska this election cycle in the hope of influencing the selection of the state’s next congressional leaders.

Sen. Ted Stevens and Rep. Don Young, both Republicans, have sat squarely at the top of the state’s political power structure for decades, but the cloud of public corruption allegations hanging over both men has prompted the national Democratic Party and anti-spending conservative groups to target both seats.

Third-party groups have so far released only a trickle of money into the primary races, but that’s expected to turn into a steady stream in the general contests, when the question becomes mostly one of red or blue.

“Outside groups are definitely going to play a role this year,” said Jerry McBeath, political science professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Outside organizations range from labor union political action committees to tax-exempt organizations known as 527 and 501 groups. Their non-profit status allows the groups to accept soft-money donations in unlimited amounts from individuals without having to disclose their identities.

The groups are not allowed to advocate for or against a specific candidate, but they can run issue-based advertisements on television, radio and the Web. They also employ automated telephone calls and direct mailings to promote a certain political philosophy.

Meanwhile, both the national Republican and Democratic parties maintain congressional campaign committees responsible for getting their candidates elected.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., has made no secret of his desire to replace Stevens in Congress’ upper chamber with Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, a Democrat.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which Schumer chairs, has endorsed Begich in the primary and provided strategy and advice to his campaign staff.

“We think it’s one of the most important races in the country,” DSCC spokesman Matthew Miller said.

The DSCC typically helps candidates by running independent-expenditure ads during the general election campaign, and it’s safe to assume the organization would do the same for Begich, a committee staffer said.

The DSCC also is funneling funding through it’s Victory ‘08 PAC to the state Democratic Party, which in turn is providing boots on the ground for the Begich campaign.

The single biggest outside special interest group to take an interest in Alaska this year is the Club for Growth. The Washington, D.C.-based anti-tax and anti-earmark group has endorsed Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell in the Republican primary for the U.S. House.

The 527 group has spent $100,000 on ads targeting Young and encouraged its members to donate to Parnell. Campaign contributions from Club for Growth members accounted for more than half of the $266,000 Parnell raised between April and July.

The National Republican Congressional Committee has said it does not endorse candidates in the primary. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, on the other hand, is providing the Stevens campaign with research and other assistance.

Young has received some money from political action committees, such as the one operated by former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, but on a much smaller scale than his main primary opponent has enjoyed.

Young has also been endorsed by the National Rifle Association and some local labor unions, which encourage their members to write checks to his reelection campaign.

Another third-party conservative group seeking to influence the public policy is Freedom’s Watch. The 501(c)(4) organization is expected to spend big this fall nationally to supplement the cash-strapped national Republican congressional committees.

The group is focused on the energy debate and the Republican call for more domestic oil production this year, but it also takes a conservative stance on unions, health care and other issues. Freedom’s Watch has spent about $25 million nationwide on issue-based advertisements this election cycle.

The group has so far not targeted Alaska, but spokesman Ed Patru said there’s a good chance it will start running issue-based ads after the primary.

“We’re going to keep a very close eye on the issues as they develop in Alaska and if we think we can have an influence on public policy there we’ll consider getting involved,” Patru said.

Another special interest expected to play a role in this year’s congressional elections is environmental groups, though they have yet to enter the fray and Republican politicos suspect they’re keeping a low profile so as not to upset Alaska voters sensitive to outside interference.

Democratic candidates in the House race have received some help from outside interest groups, but on a much smaller scale.

Anchorage Democrat Ethan Berkowitz was named to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Red to Blue fundraising program in June.

The DCCC’s significant lead in fundraising on the national level compared to the National Republican Congressional Committee, $56.6 million compared to $8.4 million

The national Republican party has had a tough time raising money this year due to President Bush’s unpopularity and the GOP’s ethics problems. At the end of June, the National Republican Congressional Committee had $8.4 million in cash-on-hand, compared to $56.6 million for the DCCC. The DSCC has a similar, albeit smaller, lead.

The cash advantage allows Democrats to pursue a 50-state campaign and target more than 60 competitive seats, though there has so far been no assurance that Berkowitz would benefit from the advantage.

“That gives us the ability to play in a lot of races,” Cohen said.

The most significant PAC money Berkowitz has received is from Illinois Democratic Rep. Rahm Emanuel’s group Our Common Values.

The AFL-CIO’s Working Families Vote PAC is also supporting Berkowitz, as is pro-choice groups Planned Parenthood and NARAL, among others, though such endorsements don’t necessarily come with cash.

The Anchorage Democrat and former state House minority leader received some publicity from the left-leaning blogosphere, most notably the Web site www.dailykos.com, which has commissioned two polls on the House race.

Diane Benson, who is running against Berkowitz in the Democratic primary for the House, has received a small amount of campaign support from the progressive group 21st Century Democrats. She has also received endorsements from the National Women’s Political Caucus and National Organization for Women.