Jim Minnery: We won the World Series! And other observations about the 2024 election

By JIM MINNERY

As with you likely, I’ve been doing a fair share of digesting what just transpired Tuesday. Here are a few post-election thoughts to add to your menu.

First and foremost, as my friend Bob reminded me at our semi-weekly coffee at City Market this morning, WE WON THE WORLD SERIES !

Although I was as ecstatic as any other conservative out there who saw our movement dodge a bullet (literally and figuratively), I was a bit dismayed about the results of our State Legislative races.  Likely losing the State House (there are some races still at play) means both chambers of the Alaska Legislature might be filled with the bi-partisan coalition nonsense that has permeated either the State Senate or State House for way too long.

It is certainly painful but…as Bob reminded me – “That’s little league stuff. We just won the World Series! “

Let’s dive in. 

Alaska went big once again for Trump. That bodes well on so many levels. I’ll let others pontificate on the economic ramifications of lower inflation, more jobs, a border that actually does what it is supposed to and resource development sure to expand opportunities here in the Great Land.

In no uncertain terms, our state and nation stood up and spoke truth to the liberal, biased media with their votes – the poll that matters most. By electing Donald J. Trump to serve again as our President and Commander-In-Chief, we can confidently predict that our Federal Courts will again be filled with conservative constitutionalists. This arena, as we see time and time again, is essential for ensuring fundamental freedoms the Biden-Harris Administration has been systematically dismantling from day one of occupying the White House.

Over the past four years, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have relentlessly pursued policies that targeted our most fundamental freedoms: religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, the right to life, and fair play and equal opportunities for women and girls. With Tuesday’s historic win, the stage is set to begin reversing these harmful policies and secure new legal protections that will safeguard fundamental rights from future attacks. 

A Trump victory also speaks volumes about the attempt by elitists for decades now to to malign those with traditional, conservative views as Hitler-like. It was completely and utterly debunked. 

In this short but profound piece, R.R. Reno from First Things dissects how the “Archie Bunkers” of the world, you know, you and I, are nothing more than “proto-facists” clinging to our Bible’s moral teachings and yearning for the security of a “closed” society. Trump is an authoritarian, an enemy of the diversity and inclusion made possible by an “open” society unhinged from any mooring of outdated and unwanted standards. 

With this presumed mandate of Trump, Reno notes how Americans of every stripe “should welcome the general erosion of the open society consensus and its ready accusations of fascism and authoritarianism. In that regard, whatever one thinks of the man or his platform, Trump’s electoral success is good news for those of us who think that the highest, noblest, and most liberating act is to surrender ourselves, heart, mind, and soul, to God.“

As you can see from the two election maps below, Nick Begich is still 0.4% +1 vote from the magic number that will put a Republican back in our sole Congressional seat. As Suzanne Downing at Must Read Alaska has noted in her predictably impeccable journalism, it seems inevitable Mary Peltola will, thankfully, be a one and done U.S. House member. Interestingly, 16,501 Alaskans ( these numbers will change slightly as more are tallied ) voted for President Trump and then for someone other than Nick Begich. In most cases that was Mary Peltola, who is as left leaning by every measurement as Kamala Harris and AOC. 

That kind of cognitive dissonance, in my view and from the data, can best be described as Alaskans in rural areas who want someone that “seems more like them” despite having just cast their vote for the blue collar billionaire.

In any event, much can and will be written about the amazing ramifications of the trifecta of a Trump Administration with majorities in the U.S. Senate, (sorry Lisa Murkowski) and House.

Sen. Murkowski is not in an enviable position. She has been a thorn in Trump’s side, she is widely disliked by her own party and, possibly most importantly, the U.S. Senate Republican majority margin, that could grow, eliminates the need to give Murkowski deference as a deal breaker or maker. And to top it off, her ranked choice voting scheme she orchestrated with Scott Kendall to avoid a Republican Primary appears to be going down in flames. 

It is dawn and we are once again, turning on the lights on the city on a hill. Enjoy the brightness in the coming days knowing that the true Light of the World is on the horizon. John 8:12

On the State Senate side, it’s a mixed bag.

Republicans Rob Yundt from Wasilla and Mike Cronk from Tok are two new Senate members who have both told Alaska Family Action in our Values Voter Guide that they would refuse to join a coalition majority in which the opposite political party controls a majority of seats.

Assuming they join the current three-person Senate Republican minority, made up of Shelley Hughes from Palmer, Mike Shower from Wasilla and Robert Myers from North Pole, that would give the minority five members, the minimum needed to hold seats on Senate committees.

Two races AFA was watching closely and had high hopes for were Leslie Hajducovich against incumbent Democrat Sen. Scott Kawasaki in Fairbanks and Eagle River newcomer Jared Goecker against Republican incumbent Sen. Kelly Merrick who has been part of the bi-partisan coalition. Hadjucovich is down by just 74 votes out of 9,411 votes cast while Goecker pulled in just 40% of the vote in the District. With 60% of the vote going to Merrick and to a Democrat, Eagle River/Chugiak has some “splaining” to do about their claim as a conservative suburb of Anchorage.  It is unknown whether Hadjucovich, if she pulls out a last minute victory, would join the bi-partisan coalition or not. 

Ben Carpenter, a former solid House member who put his hat in the ring against fellow Republican Sen. Jesse Bjorkman who was backed up hard by the unions, fought well but couldn’t pull off a victory. 

In terms of any pro family legislation advancing in the State Senate, it is likely to remain difficult to get anything to a floor vote. We’re looking at possible bi-partisan legislation that other states have had some success with and we’ll always be on alert for anything negative that surfaces. Stay tuned. 

On the State House side, it’s difficult to put a positive spin on it although many ballots have yet to be counted and there are several races still in play.

The big losses for social conservatives were mostly in Anchorage. Lucy Bauer losing to Ky Holland, Rep. Craig Johnson losing to Chuck Kopp, Stanley Wright being down to Ted Eischeid, and David Nelson being down to Rep. Cliff Groh were key to looking like the House Majority might be gone.

At the time of this writing, incumbent Stanley Wright is down by 111 votes and former legislator David Nelson is down by just 28 votes! You’ve heard this before but every vote really does matter.

From a favorable perspective looking at the House…

– Jubliee Underwood in the MatSu Valley looks to have defeated David Eastman. Although he has a faithful following, AFA has long believed Eastman was a stumbling block for advancing conservative ideas in Juneau. 

– We picked up a Republican seat with Jeremy Bynum in the Ketchikan area after incumbent Rep. Dan Ortiz retired.

– As always, our conservative rock stars in the Valley did what they do best – win. Here’s to all of you, Hughes, Shower, Johnson, Tilton, McCabe, Rauscher.

– Sarah Vance, an outstanding pro family legislator out of Homer, fought off a tough challenger and will be returning to Juneau.  

– South Anchorage incumbent Julie Coulombe battled valiantly to fend off Democrat Walter Featherly to keep her office in the Legislature. 

– Newcomer Heather Gottshall orchestrated an impressive race against Democrat incumbent Rep. Andy Josephson and, although ultimately falling short, picked up over 47% of the vote. Here’s to encouraging her to put her hat back in the ring.

– Long time ally Mia Costello in West Anchorage pushed through to a hard fought win.

– Another newcomer, Aimee Sims generated nearly 47% of the vote against Democrat incumbent Rep. Donna Mears showing that this seat is still attainable for Republicans. Ditto on using this experience to keep pressing.

– Eagle River/Chugiak stalwarts Reps. Jamie Allard and Dan Saddler got the kind of results we wish we would have seen on the Senate side in this district. Shows you how strong the union organizer Joey Merrick, Sen. Kelly Merrick’s husband, is. 

Jim Minnery is president of Alaska Family Council and Action.