The Republican House Majority members were out in force on Friday endorsing Nick Begich for Congress, now that Nancy Dahlstrom has dropped from the general election ballot.
Already, Begich has the endorsement of the House Freedom Caucus, especially Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida and a handful of others, but now he also is seeing the House Republican leadership team come alongside him as they try to put together a stronger team for the U.S. House of Representatives. Donalds led the effort to get Begich endorsed by leadership and was the first in the House to endorse Begich.
House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, who represents Minnesota’s 6th congressional district, was first out of the gate:
“@NickforAlaska is a proven leader and the right choice for Republicans to flip this critical seat. I am fully endorsing Nick for Congress and am committed to doing everything I can to help him in this must-win race. We need Nick Begich in the U.S. House, and I am proud to be with him in this fight for the future of Alaska and our country,” said Emmer, who played hockey for University of Alaska Fairbanks in college.
House Republican Conference chairwoman Rep. Elise Stefanik was next:
“Flipping Alaska’s only congressional seat is a top priority for House Republicans this November, and I am proud to give my complete endorsement to @NickforAlaska today. Nick is a rock-solid conservative who will serve Alaska with strength and dedication, and I look forward to serving with him in the next Congress as we work to restore common sense in Washington, DC,” said Rep. Stefanik, who represent’s New York’s 21st congressional district.
House Speaker Mike Johnson also wrote his endorsement:
“Nick Begich is a successful businessman, a proven champion for Alaska, and a commonsense conservative who puts Alaskans first. I am proud to fully endorse @NickforAlaska as we work to return Alaska’s sole Congressional seat back to Republican hands. This race is key to growing our House majority, and Nick has my complete support,” Johnson said.
Utah Sen. Mike Lee and Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania also have endorsed Begich.
House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana’s 1st District rounded out the Friday batch of endorsements:
“@NickforAlaska knows how important it is to return to the proven conservative policies that made our country the greatest in the history of the world. I look forward to working with Nick to flip this seat in November,” Scalise said.
Also on Friday, Alaska Republican Party Chairwoman Carmela Warfield noted that with Dahlstrom out of the race, the party was now clearly united behind Nick Begich.
“I would like to thank our Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom, for her dedication and continued service to our great state and our Party. Lt. Governor Dahlstrom is a fighter. Her courageous decision to step back from this important race is an example to us all, and her strength of character is evident today more than ever,” Warfield said.
“As we move forward, I encourage all Alaska Republicans, and all Alaskans to unite and support Nick Begich to take back our lone Congressional seat and defeat Mary Peltola. Nick is dedicated to Alaska, and will be a champion for us in Congress — always putting Alaska first. Now is the time to come together as a united Party to support President Trump and Senator Vance, Nick Begich and our candidates in their races for the State House and State Senate,” she said.
She then gave a nod to Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who she said “works tirelessly for Alaska and has a strong vision for our future. Now it is time to do our part, and grow our majorities in Juneau to support him in this important work. Join with us and together, as a united Party, we will win. Let’s get to work.”
Begich has for a long time had the endorsement of the House Freedom Caucus, the majority of the Republican activists in the state of Alaska, and international business sensation Vivek Ramaswamy.
Begich is taking on Rep. Mary Peltola, who flipped the seat to Democrat control with the help of ranked-choice voting in Alaska in 2022. In the primary, she took 50% of the vote, setting up a huge challenge for Republicans in November. Today’s news of Dahlstrom dropping caused the Peltola team to scramble to come up with a new strategy.
