Congressional candidate Nick Begich has won the fifth endorsement from an Alaska mayor. Cordova Mayor Clay Koplin has signed on with the Republican Begich who is taking on Congressman Don Young.
Begich has already received endorsements from Kenai Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce, North Pole Mayor Michael Welch, Wasilla Mayor Glenda Ledford, and Mark Jensen of Petersburg.
He also has the endorsements of Mat-Su Assemblyman Jesse Sumner, Mat-Su School Board member-elect Jubilee Underwood, and Alaska Outdoor Council and hunting enthusiast Carl Nelson, gunsmith and Valley political activist L.D. Howard, drone company founder Amber McDonald, and Republican activist Misty Steed, and former congressional candidate John Nelson. More recently, Waynette Coleman of Ninilchik, Richard Derkevorkian, assemblyman in Kenai, Cindy Glassmaker of Kenai, Taylor James of Wasilla, Jake Almeida of Palmer, Vonnie Pierce of Sterling, Former Sen. Pete Kelly of Fairbanks, Amber McDonald of Anchorage, Marcus Sanders of Anchorage, Ric Davidge of Anchorage, Pamela Melin of Palmer, Bill Elam of Kenai Assembly, Julie Gillette of Fairbanks, Kathy Toms of Homer, Dee McKee of Wasilla, former Rep. Lynn Gattis of Wasilla, Sen. Roger Holland of Anchorage, Janet Johnson of Palmer, Rep. Kevin McCabe of Big Lake, Rob Yundt of Mat-Su Assembly, Sen. Mike Shower, Sen. Shelley Hughes, and dozens of other well-known civic leaders around the state.
Begich, who announced his candidacy in late October, is taking on the Dean of the House, Alaska’s sole congressional representative, who has been in office since 1973. In the open primary system, they will be on the ballot with all others registered for that race, as there is no longer a Republican primary. Begich was Congressman Young’s co-chair for his 2020 campaign, but now has Young’s campaign manager, Truman Reed, working for him as his campaign manager as the young generation of Republicans try to retire the old warrior, Congressman Young.
