Tara Sweeney, who was head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs during the Donald Trump presidency, is the new co-chair of Alaskans for Don Young, the congressman’s reelection campaign.
The news comes on the first day of the Alaska Federation of Natives annual convention. Sweeney joins Alaska State Senator Josh Revak, who was named as co-chair in November.
Sweeney was also co-chair of Dan Sullivan for U.S. Senate 2014, co-chair of Alaska Federation of Natives, chair of the Arctic Economic Council, and has a long history in Alaska Native corporations. She worked for 20 years for Arctic Slope Regional Corp., including as executive vice president of external and government affairs.
“I am honored to welcome my friend and respected Alaska leader Tara Sweeney to my team as my statewide campaign co-chair,” said Young. “Tara is a clear-eyed, determined leader who has dedicated her career to advocating for Alaska’s interests – advancing pro-growth policies, fighting back against an endless patchwork of federal bureaucracy, and standing up against Chuck Schumer’s despicable attacks on Alaska. I look forward to working with Tara Sweeney, Senator Josh Revak and a strong coalition of Alaskans to build a campaign focused on advancing Alaska’s interests and effectively challenging the Biden administration’s many failed policies.”
“I have worked alongside Congressman Young for over 20 years, and have seen firsthand his ability to build coalitions, bring people together and promote policies that move our state forward,” said Sweeney. “His work is not done, and he has the experience we need to navigate through these challenging times. As Alaska’s lone Congressman, Don Young has always carried the Last Frontier on his shoulders, and I stand with him.”
Who?
It’s ALL about the Bush vote for Don Young. Except for union bosses, who make lots of money off of Don Young’s free-wheeling congressional appropriations, the rest of Alaska could care less about Don’s candidacy. Don’s long lasting marriage to Lu, a Fort Yukon Athabaskan, is Don’s real legacy in his 50 years of sustainability and election survival.
Natives will be less inclined to vote for Don, now that Lu is dead, and Don remarried………..a White woman!
Chuck Schumer?!?! Does Don realize Schumer is the US SENATE Majority Leader and that Nancy Pelosi is the Speaker of the House? Is Don becoming like Brandon with his mental capabilities?
If Alaskans understood Tribal Courts and the total disaster they are for Natives and Non-native alike, you’d understand what a total DC Swamp rat Don Young has become.
My first Vote for him was in 1978. He’ll be my third choice on the primary ballot.
Go away Don and Lisa.
I wonder if she knows and approves of the US Constitution and the republic of free men. Nothing else matters.
Hitching his wagon to Revak. Not a wise move, but telling.
Time to go away, Don.
Funny complains about chuckie schumer but has done nothing in the house to combat this overreach.
It’s time Alaska, he has earned a well deserved retirement.
Damn…..Politics is a nasty business and Power must be one hell of a drug to keep these dinosaurs going….
Don Young appears to be and always has focused on his ‘connection’ to his Alaska native constituents. There are about 40,000, more or less, Alaska natives out of a population of 650,000 or so total residents in Alaska. The non native population obviously deserves representation as stipulated, along with all American citizens, in several founding documents of Alaska and America. Don and Dan Sullivan are both connected to the indigenous population of Alaska through marriage. Both are stongly ‘representing’ mostly the Native Alaskans, not all Alaskans. That position of indigineous representation has tremendous political clout, whereas representing mostly caucasian Alaskans does not. I consider myself Alaskan, having lived in Alaska all but four early years of my life. Unfortunately for equality, I am white, though I am proud of my heritage too. My fifth great grandma was Captain Cook’s daughter, among several distinguished ancestors. I visited Don Young’s office in DC some years ago. It was like a tourist shop in Juneau. Native curios and exhibits from floor to ceiling and all walls, table and desks covered with only that, with family replete in authentic dress all around. No discussion about issues, only a glad-hand picture with him, speedily printed and presented me as a token of my non productive visit. A visit with Lisa that same trip was even less productive. No picture. Ted Stevens was busy those few days. My representation by our three federal ‘representatives’ is sketchy, at best. Don and Dan remind me of Elizabeth Warren and her faux indian heritage and Lisa is completely known as deep left. All three are dedicated to a small sector of voting residents at best, not all. I do not begrudge anything the Alaska Natives can get from the government. They have government benefits that my own Alaska born children don’t have and many advantages over ‘white’ Alaskans throughout life, like free healthcare, free schooling/training of their choice and a stipend forever, for being not white. A discussion for a different time.
In short, the indigineous Alaskans are being used as political props for the election season. I hope they realize it. In the meantime it’s business as usual for the Alaskan three in DC. Squeal a little to constituents about the wisdom of the leftist voting and hope everyone is dumb enough to swallow it.
Without the lessons I learned by having only my own abilities and determination to succeed, I would not have lived my life as fully. No regrets for me for missing the ‘free’ stuff that diminish many and take away incentive, ambition and success.
Well written. My DC experience was similar except the only person who would take the time to address my concerns was Begich. Don Young, Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski are all the epitome of scummy DC politicians. Let’s fire them all.
Just another in a long line of scarecrows. Don didn’t count on Nick Begich III stepping up and getting in the ring for a 12 rounder.
Don has been living in DC for 50 years. He’s 88 years old. He is from CA. He didn’t arrive to Alaska until he was 25. That means he’s only really lived in Alaska for 13 years. Why should born-and-raised, or life-long Alaskans vote for Don? He’s a veritable outsider.
Don’s own children and grandchildren have NEVER lived in Alaska. They all live in either Maryland or Virginia.
Retire Don, you are way past your prime. Go Nick!
We have our own swamp in Alaska and campaign finance reform is the first step. All three of them are bought and paid for by outside interests who simply wish to further their own political ambitions on the national stage or plunder Alaska. If you want this to change, you have to start at the state level and ban financial contributions from outsiders. Alaskans should choose its own leadership. Otherwise, Bezos, Zuckerberg, Soros, Bloomberg and all the Outside, foreign-owned corporate interests will continue to drown us out and do it themselves.
With the new voting it might help to have Don on the ticket. 1. Nick 2. Don
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