Conservative Republican Nick Begich has won a closely contested race for Alaska’s sole House seat, defeating incumbent Rep. Mary Peltola, a Democrat and the first Native Alaskan in Congress. Begich’s victory extends the Republican majority in the House, bringing the GOP total to 219 seats, while Democrats hold 213.
Begich comes from a prominent political family in Alaska. His grandfather, Nick Begich Sr., served in Congress before his mysterious disappearance in 1972, and his uncle, Mark Begich, was Alaska’s U.S. senator from 2009 to 2015.
Despite Peltola’s status as a popular moderate Democrat, including her break from the party on key issues like climate and energy, the Republicans successfully united behind Begich after the 2022 ranked-choice voting defeat, where Begich and Sarah Palin split the Republican vote, paving the way for Peltola’s win.
The race also featured Alaska Independence Party candidate John Wayne Howe and Democratic candidate Eric Hafner.
The National Republican Congressional Committee NRCC praised Begich’s resounding victory and his commitment to draining the swamp and opposing the liberal war on Alaska.
Begich’s win underscores the political significance of Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system, which allowed Peltola to narrowly secure her 2022 victory after Republicans split their vote.