Conservative Republican Nick Begich won a close race for Alaska’s only House seat, according to the Associated Press.
Mr. Begich defeated his primary rival, Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska). He is the first Alaska Native in Congress and one of only five House Democrats currently representing districts won by President-elect Trump in 2020.
With this victory, the Republican majority in the House increased to 219 and the Democratic majority to 213.
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Alaska House candidates Nick Begich and U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola are the top two candidates in the race. (Getty Images)
The Republican candidate is politically savvy, coming from a prominent Alaska political family made up mostly of Democrats.
His grandfather, Nick Begich Sr., was an Alaska state legislator who mysteriously disappeared on a plane in 1972 and was pronounced dead. His uncle, Mark Begich, served as a senator from Alaska from 2009 to 2015.
The remaining two candidates were John Wayne Howe of the Alaska Independence Party and Eric Hafner of the Democratic Party.
Nick Begich pictured at the Congressional Candidate Forum sponsored by the Resource Industry Trade Association. (Ash Adams of The Washington Post via Getty Images)
In a statement, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) congratulated Begich on his “huge victory.”
“We congratulate Congressman-elect Nick Begich on his great victory,” NRCC spokesman Ben Petersen said in a statement. “The people of Alaska just sent in America First warplanes to drain the swamp and end the war on freedom against Alaska. Congressman-elect Begich will carry out that mission.”
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Rep. Mary Peltola is one of the few House Democrats to win the seat won by Trump in 2020. (Getty Images)
Alaska is one of only two states to use ranked-choice voting in federal elections, and Begich and former Gov. Sarah Palin split the Republican vote in 2022 and are eliminated from the race. This was a plus for Mr. Peltola.
But Republicans learned from that defeat and instead rallied around Begich early in the race.
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Because Alaska has a small population compared to other densely populated states, it only has one seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. It is also one of only two states to use ranked-choice voting in federal elections.
Peltola won his seat in a special election in 2022 following the sudden death of longtime Congressman Don Young (R-Alaska).
Young’s daughters and several former staffers endorsed Peltola for re-election in the November election later that year.
Congresswoman Mary Peltola replaced the late Congressman Don Young, who passed away suddenly in 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
A moderate Democrat, he is known for breaking away from his party over specific climate and energy issues.
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Begich’s victory is a long-awaited victory for House Republicans, who have fought hard to maintain and even expand their majority.
He was added to the House Republican Campaign Division’s “younger” list in August, giving him access to the resources, support and advice of the National Republican Congressional Committee.
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