The national Democrats are running ads against Congressman Nick Begich III in the Alaska media market. The ads are all over digital sites and now even on television, instructing Alaskans to tell Congressman Begich to not support Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services.
It’s an odd pitch because Begich is not in the Senate, which is the legislative body that has the confirmation duty for President Donald Trump’s nominees. The ads are not targeting Alaska’s Senators Lisa Murkowski or Dan Sullivan, just the congressman who has no role in RFK’s nomination and hasn’t even met with the nominee.
The ads tell Alaskans to tell Begich to “stand down” on RFK Jr. because it will lead to a sales tax.
The irony is that locally in Anchorage, it’s the Democrats who are trying to figure out how to enact a sales tax.
The Anchorage Assembly worked much of 2024 to get a sales tax on this April’s municipal ballot, but the feedback from the public was so bad that now the Democrats in charge in Anchorage want to get one passed in a special election later this year. During special elections, it’s the government workers who are the most likely voters, and they will be more likely to vote for another tax.
Further irony is that RFK Jr. is a former Democrat now being attacked by Democrats and some partisan members of his own stories Democrat dynasty family.
Kennedy’s needs 50 Republican senators to vote to confirm him. On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee will vote on whether to recommend him to the Senate for a confirmation vote.
Meanwhile, rather than pressuring Murkowski (Sullivan has already said he is a yes on RFK Jr.), U.S. House Democrats political committee, “House Majority Forward,” has set aside $10 million aside to attack Congressman Begich and 9 other Republican representatives, including:
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, IA-01
Rep. Zach Nunn, IA-03
Rep. Tom Kean Jr., NJ-07
Rep. Nick LaLota, NY-01
Rep. Mike Lawler, NY-17
Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, PA-07
Rep. Rob Bresnahan, PA-08
Rep. Scott Perry, PA-10
