Republicans are not interested in giving out participation trophies this year to Republican candidates who don’t come out on top in the congressional primary.
Republican District 26’s committee, the Wasilla area of the Mat-Su Valley, voted for a resolution on Thursday requesting that any Republican candidate who does not finish first in the Aug. 20 primary voluntarily drop out.
That would allow party activists around the state to not split their energies, funds, and votes between more than one Republican candidate for Congress.
The measure is similar to that passed by Republicans in District 13, which had also made the same request of Republican candidates in the state races, as well as the congressional race.
District 26 also made several endorsements on Thursday. They are: Jubilee Underwood for House Seat 27-Wasilla; Jared Goecker for Senate Seat L-Eagle River; Rob Yundt for Senate Seat N-Wasilla.
District 26 is one of the eight districts that have already endorsed Nick Begich for Congress. And Begich is the only Republican candidate who has vowed that he will drop if he doesn’t come in first among the four Republicans running for Alaska’s only congressional seat, now held by Democrat Mary Peltola. Nancy Dahlstrom has so-far refused.
This resolution was a step further. It’s really a challenge to the other three Republicans who are in the hunt.
With Alaska’s open primary, it’s almost certain that Begich, Dahlstrom, and Heikes will be the top three vote-getters who would be placed on the November general election ballot along with Peltola.
The District 26 Committee resolution says:
WHEREAS having Republicans represent Alaska in the U.S. Congress is critical to the future of Alaska and the United States: and
WHEREAS the race for U.S. Congress has more than one Republican candidate; and
WHEREAS under the current ranked choice eiection process. the top four candidates in each of these races wiil be included on the ballot for the general election; and
WHEREAS many Alaskans refuse to rank additional candidates under the ranked choice process; and
WHEREAS having more than one Republican candidate on the ballot in the November general election for Congress has the potential to dilute the vote and forfeit the election to a candidate other than a Republican; and
WHEREAS the primary election on August 20, 2024 will serve as a clear indicator of a candidate’s potential for success; and
WHEREAS at least one Republican candidate has publicly declared his willingness to withdraw from the race it he is not the Republican who garners to most votes.
NOW THEREFORE. BE IT RESOLVED:
DISTRICT 26 OF THE ALASKA REPUBLICAN PARTY RECOMMENDS THAT THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE WHO GARNERS THE MOST VOTES IN THE 2024 CONGRESSIONAL RACE MOVES FORWARD TO THE NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION AND ALL OTHER REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES IN THE CONGRESSIONAL RACE PUBLICLY DECLARE THEIR WILLINGNESS TO WITHDRAW FROM THE GENERAL ELECTION BEFORE THE DEADLINE OF SEPTEMBER 2, 2024.
The district also passed a resolution on ranked-choice voting, recommending that people vote “Yes” on the ballot measure that will appear on the November ballot to repeal the open-primary, ranked-choice voting system that Alaskans approved in 2020.
A poll conducted by Must Read Alaska this week shows that the majority of Alaska conservatives don’t want to rank candidates, but prefer to pick the one they think has the best chance of representing their values.
POS Nancy Dahlstrom cares not about Alaska and Republicans. POS Nancy Dahlstrom cares only about POS Nancy Dahlstrom. What a terrible person she is.
GO NB3!!!
Uh…
Your idol Begich finished in 3rd place, not once, but twice – and never dropped out.
You do realize that if Begich did what you are asking Dahlstrom to do – Peltola wouldn’t be in Congress now.
Please think.
You do realize that if washed-up, has-been Sarah hadn’t declared her candidacy less than 30 minutes from the deadline Mary wouldn’t be in congress now.
Exactly. Who do all these old Alaska women think they are? Lisa Murkowski, Sarah Palin (who took out Lisa’s dad in governor seat), and now this quack Nancy Dahlstrom. The three most hated women in Alaska. This must be a conspiracy, or attempt to get even, because real Alaska men don’t vote for rich, spoiled, old women who are whiners and moaners.
At the District 30 meeting Tuesday, the issue of endorsements was discussed at length. Traditionally, District 30 does not do Pre-Primary endorsements where there are multiple Republican candidates, and the overwhelming sentiment was to continue that practice. The endorsement motion was tabled until after August 20. There was also discussion and consensus that candidates not coming in first at the Primary should drop out.
Well at least some districts have guts. Maybe someone will step up in District 30 and do what’s right instead of what’s always been done.
But the million dollar question is…Will they?
So far, Nancy hasn’t kept to her promise of not going negative on another Republican, and so why bother getting her to promise to drop out, when we know she has way too much ego to do that? Nancy is going to destroy our chances to take back the seat, and that will be her legacy.
Republican politics proves that self interest wins every time. I will bet a dollar right now that the Republican shoot themselves in the foot AGAIN by splitting the conservative vote. And the voters will remain too stubborn and bullheaded to quit their self destructive behavior.
“………..I will bet a dollar right now that the Republican shoot themselves in the foot AGAIN by splitting the conservative vote………..”
The problem isn’t splitting the conservative vote. The problem is splitting the Republican vote, and it’s the conservatives doing it.
Never underestimate the GOP in general, and the AK GOP in particular in the ability to self destruct.
This appears to be a good // reasonable measure and path forward.
The greatest ‘perplexion’ I have is that of N-Dahlstrom.
… Why?
… For what purpose?
… For who’s benefit?
… How is her approach a winning strategy?
Given NB3 popularity, now would be a great time for her to drop-out.
“……….Given NB3 popularity……..”
Based upon what? The primary vote comes this month. Before that it’s all the poll game. Dahlstrom has the up-party endorsements. We’ll see how they do.
LOL! This is a joke, right? Murkowski/Kendall have played this party like a Stradivarius multiple times. They knew that this party is full to the brim with Baby Napoleons who can’t cooperate and who are all looking for control. It will be decades before somebody will corral these cannibals and put an end to this disaster.
Truth!
In districts where rinos run this will virtually guarantee they win. Take Eagle River and Kelly Merrick for example, she would likely get the most first place votes and if all other Republicans drop out then you’ve now effectively elected a rino…not such a great plan.
Also remember that unless a candidate drops out after a certain date that the person with the next highest vote total moves up into fourth place.
As wrong and dumb as rank voting is, you better be sure that this scheme to avoid rank voting isn’t worse than counting to 4, or 3, or 2.
Good point.
If Nancy’s goal is to split the republican vote in support of re-electing Peltola, there’s no reason for her to commit to dropping out when she loses the primary. I don’t know any other reason why she’s in this election. So it makes sense that she won’t commit.
Why should anyone take valley GOP seriously?
Or any AKGOP for that matter.
Well at least they endorsed Jubilee Underwood over the lefts favorite Republican Representative David Eastman for House Seat 27 in Wasilla.
Rep. Eastman votes 100% constitutionally. That is why the rino republicans can’t stand him. Alaska has one of the worst “Republican” score cards for the entire united states. Very shameful. Support Rep. Eastman in any way that you can!
‘https://thefreedomindex.org/ak/
Yesterday at the Ninilchik Fair I was approached by a League of Women’s Voters representative wanting me to sign another campaign finance petition. She was unable (or unwilling) to tell me what else was hidden behind the headlines. I pointed out to her that the 2020 Dark Money/Ranked Choice Voting petition actually exempted petitions such as the one she were flogging from the Dark Money prohibition. Not only did she not believe me, she could not (or would not) tell me what Dark Money sources were backing this petition drive.
As with the RCV initiative: Voters Beware!