Over 100 people poured through the doors of the home of Jim and Faye Palin on Monday night, the eve of the special general election and the regular primary election.
Jim and Faye Palin are well-respected former senior managers at MTA and MEA; Nick Begich served on the board of MTA for five years.
On the other side of the campaign spectrum, Nick Begich’s uncle Mark Begich is supporting Mary Peltola in the congressional race and a fundraiser for her.
The event was to boost the campaign of Nick Begich III, who is running against Sarah Palin, the former daughter-in-law of the Palins, who provided moose sausage, smoked salmon, and homemade Alaska rhubarb bread, carrot cake, and other Alaska-themed treats.
The noisy and enthusiastic party spilled out onto the back lawn, where eventually Nick Begich was giving his last speech of this phase of his campaign for Congress.
Tomorrow, he’ll know whether he has moved ahead of former Gov. Palin and into striking distance of Mary Peltola, the Democrat in the three-way race, which will be decided by ranked choice voting, a first for Alaska. The final results won’t be known for two weeks, however. Some pollsters suggest that Begich will handily beat the Democrat, and the Democrat will be in strong contention to beat Palin, should she advance to the second round of counting in the ranked choice system.
Begich was relaxed, warm, and poised as he spoke about the need for resource development in the state — minerals, timber, oil, gas, and the renewable resource of tourism. He said he was ready to do the work, and that Alaska needs a serious representative. He said that Palin has been a no-show on the campaign, spending much of her time out of state during the campaign season. Palin has held no events in Alaska in the past month.
Begich said he started his campaign in Wasillla, announcing his candidacy in October. And he was happy to finish where he started — in Wasilla. Reporters from the New York Times, NBC News, Fox News, Daily Telegraph, and Anchorage Daily News, KTUU, were present.
Lawmakers and elected officials attended were Wasilla Mayor Glenda Ledford, Sen. Mike Shower, Sen. Shelley Hughes, Rep. Cathy Tilton, School Board member Julie Underwood, Mat-Su Assemblyman Rob Yundt, former Assemblyman George McKee. Others spotted there were Dr. Wade and Heather Erickson, Janet Kincaid, Kathy McCollum, Jacob Butcher, C.J. and Eric Koan, Adam Crum, Eddie Grasser, Mike Coons, Earl and Karen Lackey, Lorne and Rina Bretz, Dr. Joe and Tyra Chandler, Kim Swanson, Ryan McKee, and Athena Fulton.
The House race has two parts — one to fill out the remainder of Congressman Don Young’s term, and one to advance to the general election to run for the two-year seat.
Kelly Tshibaka, running for U.S. Senate, also finished her primary campaign efforts where she started, on the Kenai Peninsula. She, family, and friends waved signs for hours at different places, and it was clearly Tshibaka country, with lots of honks and waves. She is running against Sen. Lisa Murkowski for the six-year seat. There are 19 candidates running for Senate, and four of them will advance to the November ranked choice general election.
Polls open at 7 am on Tuesday and close at 8 pm. A list of polling locations can be found at this link.
Begich is really worried about Sarah Palin…..don’t blame him…. He sees she is at home in Alaska and Begich is borrowing time to look good. If he can…but Sarah Palin is still coming in strong. Just think, it’s almost over for this part of the election. All we need are the results of this primary phase.
Polls are for Sarah.
I ain’t wild about her…
Begich, totally unknown. But Blood is thicker than water.
How can I extend faith to the Begich Dynasty?
Sarah, otoh… screwed up so much.
How can I support her?
Of faith?
Maybe she has evolved.
I hate this election, and wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.
Ok, off to the polls I go.
I have a quarter in my pocket for the Begich-Palin thing.
Yeah, a coin-toss.
That is an odd remark. Palin has been outside raising money in every other state but ours – look at her FEC reports with so very many outside donations. Begich has Alaskan support. Those who keep track in politics and all conservative republican leaders support Begich – they’ve been vetting him for about 5-6 years now. Uninformed voters are following Trump’s lead. Unfortunately Trump isn’t aware of Sarah’s past as our governor, and what a problem that was. I wish he was better informed. If she is elected we will have to keep track of her and point her in the right directions. I just hope she listens to Alaskans, and not those outside fans of hers. I have my doubts….
NB3 is a humble guy and I hope he wins it tomorrow and in November. He has worked hard and his campaign style is genuine. Unlike his uncle Mark who ran non-stop tv ad after nauseating ad about his deceased father. Go Nick Begich III.
Wish we knew more about Nick Begich, he just came out of left field and the only thing most Alaskans knew about him was his last name. Which is considered poison to conservatives.
Hope whomever wins, whether NB or SP they put Alaskans first and keep grounded.
Spot on, Tiffany.
Only 100 attended?
This doesn’t come as too much of a surprise. Scorned inlaws throwing mud at an opponent. Jim doesn’t have a whole lot of credibility, although he might have mellowed in his old age. I don’t believe Faye is even Todd’s real mom. Just Jim’s current wife. That being said, I’m not a supporter of Palin as you all know, and she brings very little to the table other than a yakety yak trailer park School board appointed wannabe.
They threw no mud. They just opened their doors to whom they believe is most qualified. They have the right to support whomever they wish.
I will vote for any candidate who wil raise my taxes, cause i am a dum-dum. Furthermore i believe american’s proper place should be a slave to government, we are snobby wetches and time for us to
work for nothing cause government takes all. What does a dum-dum say, ‘no pain, no gain.’
Sarah Palin #1, the rest N/A. I have no doubt Mark Begich will be voting for Nick. There’s plenty to write about Sarah, but apparently nothing to write, good or bad, about Nick. Somehow it smells like a wolf in sheeps clothing.
Mark is voting Democrat. Nick is running as a republican I believe. I’m not sure what his grandfather would think of his son running as a Republican but it is his grandfather’s old seat that was filled by Young after the accident so there is that.
There’s plenty to write about Nick B III – and if you’d been paying attention, you’d know he is a far superior candidate than Princess Sarah.
Where have you been? I’m a life long Alaskan (since before statehood), and I can tell you Begich has been vetted for 5-6 years by republicans, because of his last name. I wouldn’t even talk to him until recently. lol
But then it occurred to me that if I have a democrat Obama-loving brother, I should not judge Nick for his famous democrat relatives. I was pleasantly surprised with what I discovered by giving him a chance. Can’t really blame him for what his relatives do.
Just more proof of how relatives can be on the opposite sides of the political world. It’s America.
Just got home from voting Kelly Sara & mike I nailed it. Time for change time for integrity, thank you for your kind assistance Suzanne ma’am. I have photos
You nailed two of them.
Sarah has issues regarding her past performance and who finances her campaign now. Nick is a much better option.
Just voted in Palmer after a confusing journey to two separate polling sites. Our Republican party did a terrible job of notifying anyone of the change. After voting in the last few elections at the Burrough building in downtown Palmer, we encountered a long line there and a lady come out to check if we were in the right place. That’s when we found out that our “new” polling place was clear up in the NE corner of Palmer in the Mat-Su School District Office complex, on the other side of town from where we live!
What was the purpose of this change? Maybe to confuse voters further in this partially “ranked choice” vote? If it was, they sure did a great job!
First stop for transforming a Conservative Republican Candidate into a RlNO—Go to a Union Meet and Greet. Nick was able to shake hands with Mark’s longtime supporters. Those Union endorsements mean a lot cash, and sign waving manpower.
Remember, it was Sarah that brought down the Murkowski political machine by beating Frank.
We know Sarah will vote MAGA.
All I know about Begich is that he is from an Uber Liberal family and he voted for Ethan Berkowitz.
Oh, yeah and he shoots guns in his political ads – can you say RINO SD?
Nick is no RINO, and definitely NOT a liberal – if you knew anything about Nick, you’d know that. I met the man last January – spoke with him for two hours while waiting for an airplane in Juneau – and was very impressed.
Regardless, a flag waving lunatic isn’t the answer. Palin rolls over too quick. I wonder who she will be loyal too when the Dem hate squad backs her up against that wall? She used words like bitbull and socker mom. No doubt Todd experienced some of that. I personally think she is in a bidding war looking for a high bidder.
That looked like one of the whitest crowds I’ve seen in this state.
Diversity? But that’s what I’d expect from the valley.
MY COMMENT IS AWAITING THE CENSORER/ UH I MEAN MODERATOR.
Start by not typing in capital letters. – sd
Is this all a conspiracy theory?
[…] Todd Palin’s father, Jim, and his stepmother, Faye, threw a party for Begich of their yard on Monday night, the day earlier than Tuesday election evening, Must Read Alaska reported. […]
[…] Todd Palin’s father, Jim, and his stepmother, Faye, threw a party for Begich in their backyard on Monday evening, the day before Tuesday election night, Must Read Alaska reported, […]
As long as everybody’s family hates them, eh?
I got to talk to NBIII. He was alright. Peltola was … she’s out her league. A kind accomplished lady, but her answers are 5th grade to Begich’s Senior Thesis.
Comments are closed.