In big news for the Republican Party and its potential ability to get things done during the first two years of President-elect Donald Trump’s presidency, the GOP candidate has finally been announced as having won the Congressional race for Alaska’s sole Congressional seat.
The victory went to Congressman-elect Nick Begich, a conservative. He was able to oust, amongst the smaller players in the election, main rival Rep. Mary Peltola. A Democrat, Peltola was the first Native Alaskan in Congress. Further, she won her congressional race in 2020 despite Trump winning her district.
With the victory of Congressman-elect Begich, the GOP majority in the House now appears to be 219, compared to 213 for Democrats, giving the GOP a bit more of a margin to accomplish things even if it has, as is likely, a few defectors in the ranks on contentious bills and issues.
Congratulating Begich on his victory, which was characterized as “resounding,” National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Spokesperson Ben Petersen said, “Congratulations to Congressman-elect Nick Begich on his resounding victory.” He continued, “Alaskans just sent an America First fighter to drain the swamp and stop the liberal war on Alaska, and Congressman-elect Begich will deliver.”
Posting about his victory in the congressional race on X (formerly Twitter), Mr. Begich said, “The race for Alaska’s sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives has now been called – Alaskans have spoken. It will be the honor of a lifetime to have the opportunity to serve as your voice in Congress.”
Continuing with the post, he said, “The path forward begins with a unified understanding of what Alaska can do for the rest of our nation. Together, we will deliver results for Alaska, creating long-term jobs, protecting our way of life, and playing our part to put America back on track. Alaska’s resources are not only a blessing for the people of our state – they are vital to the strength and independence of our entire nation.”
Building on that by commenting on working together, he said, “We must work together – across our geographies and communities – to unlock Alaska’s potential and bring meaningful opportunity to every Alaskan. The challenges we have faced are real, but so is our resolve as we work to overcome them.”
He further added to that point by noting the different political groups need to highlight issues of importance, saying, “Whether Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, AIP, or Independent; whether on one side of an issue or another, thank you to the thousands of Alaskans who worked so hard to be involved in this election effort. The marketplace of ideas and the campaign process, as challenging as it can be, brings issues into focus and highlights areas where we need attention.”
Concluding, Begich said, encouraging people to send him comments, “To that end, I hope you’ll send your comments and ideas to [email protected] as we move over the next several weeks toward the 119th Congress. We will share more about the transition soon. Thank you for the opportunity to serve.”
Featured image credit: By Photographer Robert MusgraveCarl Albert Research and Studies Center, Congressional Collection – Carl Albert Research and Studies Center, Congressional Collection, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=129289993
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