JUNEAU, Alaska — Republican Nick Begich has emerged victorious in Alaska’s U.S. House race, defeating Democratic Representative Mary Peltola and reclaiming the seat once held by his grandfather. Begich’s win follows Peltola’s previous victories in the 2022 special and regular elections, which took place after the passing of long-serving Republican representative Don Young, who held the position for nearly five decades. Peltola made history as the first Alaska Native to serve in Congress.
As Republicans aim to retain their influence in the House of Representatives, capturing this seat was of significant interest. The final election results from November 5, which incorporated ranked choice voting, were made public on Wednesday. This announcement also coincided with the deadline for the arrival of ballots sent from overseas.
Begich has political roots himself, descending from a lineage of Democratic politicians. His grandfather, the late Nick Begich, was the predecessor to Young, while one uncle served as a U.S. senator and another in the Alaska state senate. Despite this lineage, Begich has publicly identified as a lifelong Republican.
In the months leading up to the August primary, Begich took a bold stance, stating that he would withdraw from the race if he did not finish as the leading Republican candidate. He suggested this would enhance interest in the open primary process, where the top four candidates, irrespective of party affiliation, progress to the general election’s ranked choice voting. For some observers, the primary itself felt somewhat predictable.
Among the twelve candidates who competed in the primary, Peltola and Begich, along with Republican Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom, were the most recognized and the only ones to report campaign funding. Dahlstrom, who garnered support from Donald Trump and House leadership, finished third behind Peltola and Begich. Following her exit from the race, Republicans encouraged her to consolidate support behind Begich, prompting her withdrawal.
This situation led to the inclusion of the fifth- and sixth-placed candidates from the primary, John Wayne Howe of the Alaskan Independence Party and Eric Hafner, a Democrat serving a 20-year sentence in New Jersey for threats against authorities. The Alaska Democratic Party made attempts to disqualify Hafner but was unsuccessful.
After Dahlstrom stepped down, Trump shifted his support to Begich, criticizing Begich for previous Republican losses in 2022 that also involved Sarah Palin. During a rally in October, Trump dismissed Peltola’s victory as a “fluke,” asserting that “Nick Begich will be an incredible fighter in Congress” and would collaborate with him to further the interests of Alaskans.
Begich, a software company founder, firmly positioned himself as a Trump ally and criticized Peltola for her lack of endorsement in the presidential race. He emphasized the need for transparency, stating, “Some candidates in this race don’t want to tell Alaskans who they support for president, but Alaskans deserve transparency from their representative in Congress. We deserve to know whether they’ll align with those with a pro-Alaska agenda or with those who want to lock our state down.”
While Begich and Peltola agreed on several resource development issues, Begich attempted to portray Peltola as ineffective in countering policies by the Biden administration that are perceived as hindering resource development.
In the same election setting, Trump managed to win the state, and voters were queried about whether to abolish the open primary and ranked choice voting system that had been established just four years prior. This method was implemented for the first time in 2022, and Begich supported the initiative to eliminate it.