Republicans have welcomed Dahlstrom’s entry into the race, saying she is the strongest candidate to unseat Rep. Mary Peltula (D-Alaska), the state’s solely Home member whose shock victory in an August 2022 particular election despatched shockwaves by means of the political universe. Republicans have They identified Alaska’s only House seat as one of their most important goals Within the 2024 elections.
“It is a recruiting coup by @NRCC. “A recreation changer in Alaska.” tweeted Dan Constonpresident of the Congressional Management Fund, an excellent PAC linked to Home Speaker Mike Johnson and Home Republican management.
Peltula, an Alaska native and former member of the Alaska Home of Representatives, crammed the seat left vacant by Rep. Don Younger (R-Alaska), the Home dean and longtime Alaska consultant who died whereas returning to Alaska. Alaska in March 2022.
Peltula would go on to win a full time period in November of that yr, defeating former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and Republican activist Nick Begich. Underneath Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system, voters rank candidates in accordance with their desire and votes are redistributed in successive elimination rounds.
The Beltota marketing campaign didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Begich is operating once more for the seat, organising one other hotly contested race within the state. Begich’s identify carries a number of weight in Alaska. His uncle, Mark Begich, served as mayor of Anchorage, the state’s largest metropolis, and was a U.S. Senator from 2003 to 2009. His different uncle, Tom Begich, additionally served two phrases within the Alaska State Senate. His grandfather and namesake, Nick Begich Sr., was a state congressman till his demise in a airplane crash in 1972.
Pejic made clear on Tuesday that he wouldn’t again down now that Dahlstrom has entered the race.
“Our staff is 100% targeted on persevering with to construct on our already essential statewide efforts to defeat Marie Peltula and restore commonsense, fiscally accountable illustration on behalf of Alaska,” Begich mentioned in a press release to Politico.
