Trump-district House Democrat loses Alaska seat to political scion
Conservative Republican Nick Begich has won a tight race for Alaska’s lone seat in the House of Representatives, according to the Associated Press.
Begich defeated his main rival, Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, the first Native Alaskan in Congress, and one of only five House Democrats currently representing a district won by President-elect Trump in 2020.
The win widens the Republican majority in the House to 219 and 213 for Democrats.
The GOP candidate is no stranger to politics, having been born into a prominent political family in Alaska – made up of mostly Democrats.
His grandfather, Nick Begich, Sr., was an Alaska congressman, before mysteriously disappearing on a flight and being pronounced dead in 1972. His uncle, Mark Begich, was a U.S. senator for Alaska from 2009 to 2015.
The other two hopefuls in the race were Alaska Independence Party candidate John Wayne Howe and Democratic candidate Eric Hafner.
In a statement, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) congratulated Begich for his “resounding victory.”
“Congratulations to Congressman-elect Nick Begich on his resounding victory,” NRCC Spokesperson Ben Petersen said in a statement. “Alaskans just sent an America First fighter to drain the swamp and stop the liberal war on Alaska, and Congressman-elect Begich will deliver.”
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Alaska is one of only two states to use ranked-choice voting in federal elections, something that benefited Peltola in 2022, when Begich and former Gov. Sarah Palin knocked each other out of the running by splitting the Republican vote.
Republicans took a lesson from that defeat, however, and instead, coalesced around Begich earlier in the race.
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Alaska has just one House seat given its modest population compared to more densely packed states. It is also one of only two states to use ranked-choice voting in its federal elections.
Peltola won her seat in a special election following the sudden death of longtime Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, in 2022.
Young’s daughters and several former staffers endorsed Peltola for re-election in the November race later that year.
The moderate Democrat has been known to break from her party on certain climate and energy issues, among others.
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Begich’s victory is a much-needed win for House Republicans who have fought tooth-and-nail to retain and even expand their majority.
He was added to the House GOP campaign arm’s “Young Guns” list in August of this year, giving him access to National Republican Congressional Committee resources, support, and advisement.