The Alaska Republican grassroots base is activated this election cycle.
Two years ago, they were told to rank the red, but this time, they’ve seen the problem with that and they’re sending the message to those running for office in the primary: “Drop if you’re not on top” after the primary. The drop deadline is Sept. 2 for the general election.
District 34, the Eielson area of Fairbanks, met and passed the latest resolution that states that Republican candidates who are not the highest vote getters among the GOP candidates should leave the race and support the leading candidate for the November ballot, thus creating a stronger united force.
Only congressional candidate Nick Begich has already made that commitment among the four Republicans running for Congress. Nancy Dahlstrom has refused to commit, as has Gerald Heikes and Matthew Salisbury.
Four other districts have issues similar resolutions, knowing that they are speaking to Dahlstrom, Heikes, and Salisbury. The districts issuing challenges are 6, 13, 26, 29, and 34.
“In an effort to support the will of the voting populace in the State of Alaska, the Republican District Committee members of House District 34-Q of the Alaskan Republican Party (ARP) wish to address all registered Republican candidates for U.S. Congress and/or State offices, as well as our fellow District Committees within the Alaskan Republican Party.
“We urge all Republican candidates who are opposed by at least one other Republican candidate for the same U.S. Congress and/or State office to publicly declare their willingness to withdraw from the General Election if the results of the primary election favor another Republican candidate. Let it be recognized that failing to withdraw despite unfavorable primary election results risks diluting the collective focus and resources of Republican District Committees,” the district resolution reads. The committee asked all other district committees to issue similar calls for action.
Alaska’s primary election ends at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
Sadly this shows the democratic plants, but it won’t make a difference to the majority of uninformed balloters who will vote for whoever Taylor Swift tells them to.
And what plants would those be? Marijuana?
Drop if you’re not on top has a certain amount of appeal for party insiders bent on anointing a perceived preferred candidate. But it doesn’t alter the actual electoral landscape in which we are going to vote in the general election.
Nick Begich is a candidate with a great chance to garner more votes than Nancy Dahlstrom in the open primary for a bunch of reasons, many of them obvious. He’s also a hardworking candidate who has credibly articulated genuinely conservative values and beliefs.
But if Dahlstrom doesn’t drop out, (even if she trails NB III by a pile of votes), it will still require the electorate to rank the red if you want different representation in Congress.
Republicans couldn’t get their heads around RCV last election cycle and bungled their chance to elect an adult candidate. Why anyone thought fooling around with Arizona Sarah and guys like Jerry Ward made sense is a fascinating question but the results of an infatuation with a flakey candidate are obvious.
A return to reality based thinking would benefit Alaska. Could we have some, please?
Message is clear. DC are you listening?
Nancy Dahlstrom:
If you’re not on top, dropdead. Nobody, not even Trump, gonna save your *SS. Your popularity ship hit a big iceberg.
“……..Two years ago, they were told to rank the red, but this time, they’ve seen the problem with that……..”
Yeah, so have I. Why doesn’t the conservative media get a few psychiatrists together and discuss “the problem” openly?
I respect the fact that Nick is willing to drop out and back the leading Republican candidate however the fact that the others won’t speaks volumes about their character or lack there of.
Concerning Nancy Dahlstrom, the word from Juneau insiders is this- she is just running now to dilute the Republican Party votes, and thereby throw the election to Mary Peltola. That is why she refuses to act honorably, and drop out if she is not the largest vote getter.
In exchange for selling out Alaskans, she will get union support in the election for Governor. That is the seat that she really wants, not the Congressional one for which she is presently a candidate.
I think her politics are selfish and disgraceful. Alaskans deserve a lot better. Nick gets my vote!
What needs to happen is a few of these Republican Districts contact the Trump Campaign and have him pull the highly misguided ads he has on the radio endorsing the train wreck that is Nancy Dahlstrom. Dunleavy is a totally complicit for not stepping up and out and disassociating himself from her. She’s Lisa Murkowski, Part Two.
Better to use a caucus, not a primary, but first pass a law that requires candidates receive a letter of authorization to use party’s name on ballot when filing. Those that lose the nomination may not be given a letter, will be permitted to run as an independent or other party, but may lose R party affiliation if they do run. Other options may be to remove party affiliation from the ballot altogether, and/or to use approval voting or perhaps block voting in the first-round election (don’t call it a primary).
The drop-if-not-on-top rule is mathematically flawed. The candidate most preferred by all Republicans, even the one most preferred by all voters, may not be the top Republican, as happened to Begich in August 2022. Palin actually received more votes in the first-round plurality election even though ranking ballot data shows through pairwise comparisons he was the most preferred one of all voters.
Rank Choice Voting dilutes your vote. Vote for the ONE candidate of your choice and to H— with the rest.
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