On a vote of 218 to 206, the US House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday that protects women’s and girls’ athletic teams and competitions from being invaded by male athletes who mistakenly believe that they are females.
Congressman Nick Begich III voted in favor of the bill.
Last year, when the bill was attempted, Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola, a Democrat, voted against it, along with all other Democrats.
“For generations, women have fought tirelessly for equal access in athletics and this important piece of legislation reaffirms our commitment to that fight,” said Congressman Begich. “This bill is essential to protecting female athletes and ensuring that sports programs remain fair and competitive for all.”
The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act says that if schools allow males who identify as females to compete on female-only teams, they’ll lose their federal funding.
This is 180 degrees from where the Biden Administration has been. Biden’s Education Department last year passed a new interpretation of the 1972 Title IX law and said if boys can’t play on girls’ teams and use girls’ bathrooms, the schools will lose their federal funding.
This week, another federal judge threw out the Biden Title IX interpretation in a ruling that applies to all states. In December, the Biden Administration, seeing the writing on the wall, quietly withdrew its own rule just before Christmas.
Congressman Begich said the legislation is not about exclusion, rather the bill is focused on upholding the principle of fairness.
“All athletes deserve equal opportunities to succeed. But we cannot allow the rights of female athletes to be impeded in the name of political correctness,” he said. “This bill is a necessary step to ensure that women and girls can continue to compete on equal terms and that their hard-won progress in sports is protected for future generations.”
Florida Rep. Greg Steube, the bill’s sponsor, said it’s progress that at least two Democrats voted in favor of his bill, while last time he tried to get the legislation through, not a single Democrat supported it. His past bill died in the Senate, which was controlled by Democrats; the Republicans are now in charge of the Senate.
A local parallel exists in the Alaska Legislature: After boys and men started taking over girls and women in athletic competitions, Rep. Jamie Allard of Eagle River tried to get similar legislation through the Alaska Legislature in 2023, but although it passed the House, it was stopped in the Democrat-controlled Senate — just as the US House bill last year was stopped by Democrats in the US Senate.
“Nationally 70% of Americans agree with females in sports having a level playing field and not having to compete against males who have physical advantages due to their male hormones. The US House just passed the bill. It’s time for the Alaska legislature to support our female athletes, too,” Allard said.
A national exit poll conducted in November by the Concerned Women for America’s legislative action committee revealed that 70% of moderate voters aligned with President Donald Trump’s opposition to boys and men using female bathrooms and competing against females in competitions that are separated by sex.
The two Democrats in the US House who voted for the bill are both from Texas, where steers may be castrated, but that still doesn’t make them cows.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security issued a Public Service Announcement on Monday, emphasizing safety threats posed by violent extremists using street vehicles as weapons, following the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans, La.
Another mysterious incident shortly followed the New Orleans attack at the Trump Tower in Las Vegas, when a man blew up a truck filled with explosives and apparently also shot himself, right at the entrance of the building. In Germany, a Muslim terrorist mowed down shoppers with his vehicle at a Christmas outdoor market on Dec. 20. It added up to three similar incidents in less than two weeks.
The agencies are coordinating with state and local law enforcement to provide necessary resources and information to safeguard communities.
The announcement highlighted concerns about the possibility of copycat or retaliatory attacks, particularly involving vehicle ramming — a tactic frequently used by violent extremists inspired by foreign terrorist organizations. Attackers in the United States and abroad have utilized rented, stolen, or personally owned vehicles, often supplementing their assaults with firearms, knives, or improvised explosive devices, the FBI said. These attacks have targeted pedestrians, law enforcement, military personnel, and crowded venues such as festivals and commercial centers.
The FBI and DHS issued the warning one week before thousands of Americans will gather in Washington, D.C. to witness the swearing in of President Donald Trump. Inauguration parties will be held across the city starting Friday. Many of them will be held after dark, when it is more difficult to see what’s around the corner. Already, Washington is filled with police and buildings are surrounded with barricades. Sources say federal snipers are positioned in key places already.
The FBI and DHS urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity promptly. “Public awareness and timely reporting can play a critical role in preventing attacks and mitigating risks,” the agencies said.
Individuals may report suspicious activity to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or by contacting their local FBI field office, which can be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices. In emergencies or imminent threats to life, the public should call 911.
For concerns involving U.S. citizens abroad, including missing persons or hostage situations, the Department of State’s Overseas Citizens Services is available at (888) 407-4747 or via their Crisis Intake Form at https://cacms.state.gov/s/crisis-intake.
To address potential threats, the FBI, DHS, and the National Counterterrorism Center have compiled resources for law enforcement, first responders, faith leaders, and communities. These resources include funding opportunities, technical assistance, and educational materials designed to promote awareness and enhance preparedness.
The agencies also highlighted the 2021 edition of the unclassified booklet, “US Violent Extremist Mobilization Indicators,” which outlines behaviors associated with violent extremist activity. Additional materials, including training and prevention guides, are available to help communities identify and mitigate threats through behavioral threat assessment and management strategies.
Encouraging Vigilance
Due to the individualized nature of radicalization and mobilization to violence, specific indicators can be challenging to identify. However, the FBI and DHS stressed the importance of bystander situational awareness and prompt reporting of behaviors that may indicate online radicalization or planning for attacks.
The Democrats in the Senate have declared war. Not on Hamas or the Taliban, but on Pete Hegseth, who is President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense. They led the ugly charge against him Tuesday during Hegseth’s confirmation hearing in the Senate Armed Services Committee.
They slandered him, didn’t let him answer their questions, and verbally abused him. They said he isn’t qualified, can’t manage money, and accused him of sexual assault and excessive drinking. Sen. Tim Kaine, who has never served in the military, was among the worst, viciously accusing Hegseth of domestic violence.
Sen. Kaine is Hillary Clinton’s old running mate for president. Using anonymous sources and hearsay, he smeared Hegseth as a domestic abuser. “Did you ever engage in any acts of physical violence against any of your wives?” he asked Hegseth, hitting a new low for Democrats and offering not a shred of evidence. In a sickening display of partisanship, he also brought up Hegseth’s 7-year-old daughter in his questions, accusing Hegseth of cheating on the child’s mother. None of Kaine’s questions, or the questions of other Democrats, had anything to do with the military or national security.
Hillary's failed VP Tim Kaine goes after Hegseth by bringing up his seven-year-old daughter pic.twitter.com/ujMTBkSKF2
When it came time for Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan to ask his questions, however, the topics turned to actual military issues, national security, readiness, and Alaska’s important role in securing the nation.
“Now for the most important question you will receive all day: In 1935 before the Congress, the father of the United States Air Force General Billy Mitchell was testifying about a certain place in the world. He said, ‘I believe that in the future, whoever holds [this place] will control the world. [This location] is the most strategic place in the world.’ What place was Billy Mitchell talking about? Let me give you a hint. It wasn’t Greenland,” Sullivan said to Hegseth.
“I believe he was talking about the great state of Alaska,” Hegseth replied, answering correctly.
“He was talking about the great state of Alaska. Great answer! If confirmed, will you commit to come with me to the great state of Alaska to meet our warriors who are on the front lines every day?” Sullivan said.
Hegseth said yes and reminded the room that he had trained at Fort Wainwright while in the military and said he looks forward to returning.
“I will say we are on the front lines with this new era of authoritarian aggression in Alaska. The last two years, we’ve had Chinese and Russian naval task forces, joint strategic bomber task forces in our EEZ in our ADIZ,” Sen. Sullivan explained. “After his election, President Trump put out an extensive statement on Alaska, which included the following statement: ‘We will ensure Alaska gets even more defense investments as we fully rebuild our military, especially as Russia and China are making menacing moves in the Pacific.’ Mr. Hegseth, if confirmed, will you work with me, this committee and the incoming commander in chief on continuing to build up our military assets and infrastructure in Alaska to establish deterrence in the Arctic and in the Indo-Pacific?”
Hegseth replied that, “if confirmed, Senator, it would be a pleasure to work alongside you and this entire committee to recognize the very real threat in the Indo-Pacific, the very real ways—even these past couple of weeks—that Russia has attempted to probe and push in and around Alaska, and also the very real strategic significance of Alaska vis-a-vis shipping lanes through the Arctic. There are many, many ways in which Alaska is strategically significant. With a necessary shift toward INDOPACOM, Alaska, by necessity, will play an important role in that. “
Sullivan thanked Hegseth for his focus on lethality and war fighting and then focused on the woke agenda of Biden’s military emphasis:
“I want to provide a few examples of the Biden woke military, which is not focused on readiness or lethality. I want to get your comments on it. Nobody wants an extremist or racist in our military, but one of the most disgraceful and shameful things I’ve seen over the past four years as a senator on this committee and as a Marine Corps reserve officer was, on day one, the Biden administration played up a false and insulting narrative that our military was chock full of racists and violent extremists. This reached a pinnacle in this committee when Biden’s Undersecretary of policy, Colin Kahl, the number three guy at the Pentagon, testified that one of his top goals would be to “[end] violent extremism and systemic racism within the ranks of the military.” He had no data on this. The media loved it, fanned the flames, wrote baloney stories on this false narrative. Disappointingly, some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle here reinforced this ridiculous narrative, one even suggesting almost 10% of our uniformed military were extremists. 200,000 members. Ridiculous, by the way, from this committee on the other side of the aisle, Mr. Hegseth, unlike Under Secretary Kahl, you have a lot of experience with our military. Do you believe the military is a systemically racist organization and, if confirmed, will you commit to defend, not denigrate our troops?”
Hegseth said he, too was offended by those comments of the Pentagon’s undersecretary, “because anyone who’s been on active duty, in the National Guard, man or woman in units, understands that is fundamentally false.”
Sullivan said that three studies done by the military proved that statement that the military is racist to be fundamentally false.
Hegseth responded, “Senator, they knew it. Anyone who’d been in a unit knew it. One could argue that, if not the least, one of the least racist institutions in our country is the United States military. Being a racist in our military has not been tolerated for a very long time.”
Sullivan then tuned to the issue of the Navy focusing on climate change rather than ship building.
“Last year, at a hearing before this committee, I called on the Biden Secretary of the Navy to resign because he’s failing in his ability to build ships. We are being completely out-built in terms of ships by the Chinese. Yet, this Secretary of the Navy has been focused on climate change, not building ships and lethality. Mr. Hegseth, if your Secretary of the Navy ends up focusing on climate change more than shipbuilding and lethality, will you commit to me to fire him?” Sullivan asked.
Hegseth replied, “My Secretary of the Navy, should I be confirmed, will not be focused on climate change in the Navy, just like the Secretary of the Air Force won’t be focused on LG-powered fighter jets, or the Secretary of the Army will not be focused on electric powered tanks. We’re going to be focused on lethality, defeating our enemies.”
Sullivan also asked Hegseth about transgender surgeries for active duty troops.
“If confirmed and you issue an order saying we are going to rip the Biden woke yoke off the neck of our military and focus on lethality and warfighting, how do you think the troops will react?” Sullivan asked Hegseth, who replied, “Senator, I know the troops will rejoice. They will love it. And we’ve already seen it in recruiting numbers. There’s already been a surge since President Trump won the election of recruiting.”
Recruiting is up 25% over last year since Donald Trump was elected president.
Congressman Begich has only been in Congress for two weeks, but has already been appointed to three committees — one more than most members serve on. Now, he’s been named vice chairman of the House Subcommittee for Energy and Mineral Resources. The subcommittee focuses on issues critical to Alaska and the nation, including national security concerns.
The appointment was announced by House Resources Chairman, Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas, who has been a strong ally of Alaska’s economy.
In the position, Begich will be better able to advocate for commonsense policies on oil, gas, alternative energy, mining, and access to resources.
“I want to thank Chairman Bruce Westerman for this appointment and the opportunity to serve as Vice Chair of the Subcommittee for Energy and Mineral Resources. I consider this appointment both an important responsibility, and an opportunity, specifically for the state of Alaska, which hold some of the richest energy and mineral resources in the world,” said Begich.
“Unlocking Alaska’s resources is crucial for creating jobs, driving economic growth, and strengthening America’s energy security. As Vice Chair, I am ready to get to work advocating for policies that encourage investment, rationalize regulations, and support the development of Alaska’s vast resources,” Begich said. “By harnessing Alaska’s potential, we will put America on a path to reestablishing the United States as a clear leader in energy and mineral production and the downstream manufacturing that results from these industries.”
Chairman Westerman expressed confidence in Begich, who he supported in 2024’s election cycle: “Alaska is home to a vast swath of our nation’s energy and natural resources and holds one ofthe keys to making our nation energy dominant once again. I’m confident that Rep. Begich will be the voice for all of Alaska on our committee and a strong advocate in getting our priorities across the finish line.”
Last week, Westerman sent a letter to President Joe Biden and Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland regarding their decision to jeopardize American energy, economic, and conservation interests by withdrawing 625 million acres of federal coastal waters from future oil and gas leasing, including in Alaska.
“Your withdrawal of these areas betrays decades of progress and abandons the workers and communities relying on offshore energy development for their livelihoods. By ceding ground to OPEC, Russia, China, and other foreign adversaries, you have put American energy security and economic stability at risk for the sake of fleeting-political optics. This decision is not just a misstep–it is a willful act of sabotage against the American people and our future,” Westerman wrote.
“For two years, the American people waited for the release of the 5-Year National OCS Program, only for it to become the most pathetic in history — delayed, underwhelming, and maliciously drafted,” Westerman wrote. “The December release of a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) was far too late to prevent delays to Lease Sale 262, which BOEM officials have openly admitted will not take place in 2025, as your own plan required. With this withdrawal, your administration has effectively slammed the door on future development in critical regions, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Northern Bering Sea of Alaska.”
In a remarkable turnaround for the U.S. Army, the force is already halfway to meeting its fiscal year goal of recruiting 61,000 soldiers. And it’s only three months into the new fiscal year. Recruitments are up 25% over last year.
The Army barely met its recruiting goal last year, which was substantially lower than this year’s goal of recruiting 55,300.
The Army already has 30,000 enlistments for this year, an increase over the 24,000 that had enlisted by this time last year. The federal fiscal year starts Oct. 1.
Under President Joe Biden, the military has seen the worst recruitment numbers since the Vietnam War, which ended 50 years ago, on April 30, 1975.
Challenges facing military recruitment include a vast majority of American youth who are fat, out of shape, and have related medical issues resulting from diet and lack of exercise.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, About 16.1% of American children and adolescents ages 2–19 are overweight, and 19.3% are obese. The health agency says one in every three American youth are overweight or obese.
Another challenge has been perceptions of the military as being “woke,” more concerned about equity politics than warrior competencies.
Biden’s disastrous decisions surrounding the pulling of troops from Kabul ended in the deaths of 13 US military servicemen. He executed that operation agains the counsel of his top military advisers who predicted the collapse of the country’s government to the Taliban. The Taliban took control before the last US military jet had left the Kabul airstrip on Aug. 30, 2021, stranding at least 1,000 American citizens, and abandoning tens of thousands of our Afghan allies, who were hunted and killed by the Taliban. Biden left behind at least $7 billion in US military equipment that the Taliban took control of.
It was the beginning of an inauspicious four years for the military, which saw recruitments drop dramatically.
Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, has said that recruitment will be a top priority, and has alluded to the new Biden military culture of political and racial grievances had been part of the military’s difficulty in getting people to join.
Democrats oppose and are attacking Hegseth’s appointment for all kinds of reasons, mainly that he is likely to carry out Trump’s goal of “Make America Great Again.”
In the weekly “Question of the Week” poll that is a feature of the Must Read Alaska newsletter, Alaskans are favorable toward the idea of Greenland becoming a new United States territory.
78% of the nearly 600 respondents so far are supportive of President Donald Trump’s idea of purchasing the island of Greenland from Denmark.
Midway through the poll at the Must Read Alaska newsletter, the favorability for Greenland, USA is strong.
Must Read Alaska’s newsletter is published Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The question of the week always ends Thursday mornings and results are published in each Friday’s edition.
Greenlanders are also in favor of joining the United States, according to a recent poll by Patriot Polling.
Patriot Polling surveyed 416 people in Greenland, which has an adult population of only around 32,000. It’s the first poll to ask Greenlanders what they think.
Trump has for months floated the idea of buying Greenland from Denmark. His idea has gotten traction in recent days.
Not everyone is onboard. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski is on record saying the idea is “offensive.” She is in the never-Trump, anti-Trump camp. Congressman Nick Begich III called it “history defining.”
Americans hired Trump to be president because he has big ideas and is a change agent. Buying more territory for the USA is something a change agent would do. Why would Americans hire a change agent and then tell him he can’t be a change agent?
Americans may be ready for some big ideas after the Biden years. According to a recent Gallup poll, Americans give a negative assessment of President Joe Biden’s time in office,
“Majorities of Americans think the U.S. has lost ground in six areas over the past four years, including the federal debt (67%), immigration (64%), the gap between the wealthy and less well-off (60%), the economy (59%), the United States’ position in the world (58%) and crime (51%). Pluralities also say the nation has fallen behind in six other areas: education, terrorism, trade relations with other countries, race relations, the nation’s infrastructure and energy,” according to Gallup.
Trump would not be the first to try to add Greenland to US territory. Secretary of State William Seward wanted to buy Greenland in 1867 and President Andrew Johnson considered it, as did President William Taft in 1910.
Greenland is especially rich in minerals and has been a mining province since the 1700s. First populated by Vikings, it went into Danish control and in 1953 Denmark formally added it as part of its kingdom.
Congressman Nick Begich III of Alaska seems open to the idea of a Greenland, USA territory:
“In 1868 US Secretary William H. Seward, the architect of the Alaska Purchase, identified Greenland as an acquisition target that could stabilize our nascent supply chain w/critical minerals like cryolite, while bolstering US naval reach. Today, we know that Arctic routes in the waters off Greenland are more crucial than ever and that a strengthened US presence in the region enhances global security. Further, an inclusion of Greenland as a U.S. territory would substantially expand the national portfolio of critical minerals and other important resources while enhancing the way of life for local Greenlanders. Concepts like these are history defining, and despite being ridiculed at the time, Alaskans are thankful for the vision of William Seward in architecting the Alaska Purchase,” Begich wrote on X last week.
President Donald Trump named Katharine MacGregor as his deputy secretary of the Interior Department.
MacGregor served I that role in the Department of Interior during the first Trump Administration and is known for her effectiveness in pro-energy and pro-hunting policies on public lands.
Joe Balash, a well-known Alaskan who was Interior assistant secretary of lands and minerals (BLM) in the first Trump Administration, gave his unvarnished opinion on MacGregor, when called by a reporter from POLITICO.
“I don’t want to be too flippant about it, but they’re not f—ing around,” said Balash, who served with MacGregor in the department during Trump’s term. “Kate’s been there. She knows how it works. She’s there to make things happen. … This is no time for on-the-job training.”
MacGregor assumed office in February 2020, succeeding David Bernhardt, who was being promoted to secretary of the Interior. Bernhardt is now on Trump’s transition team for the Interior Department. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is the Trump nominee for secretary.
MacGregor knows how the department works. She staffed the United States House Committee on Natural Resources from 2011 to 2017, where she earned high praise from Rep. Don Young and the Congressional Western Caucus.
She served in several positions at the Department of Interior after Trump took office in 2017, including Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Lands and Minerals Management.
MacGregor worked on issues such as improving responsible domestic energy and mineral development, combating missing and murdered American Indians and Alaskan Natives, and enhancing rural broadband, all issues important to Alaskans.
Burgum as secretary of Interior will have someone backing him up who has deep experience in Washington and who has the bonafides to advance the Trump America First priorities.
America’s seniors won’t be fooled. The Biden Administration and its congressional allies passed the ironically named Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022 without attracting a single Republican vote, touting the legislation as a win for bringing down drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries. What its backers didn’t say is that the law would cause seniors’ out-of-pocket Medicare costs to dramatically increase and irresponsibly limit drug access while siphoning Medicare off to other Democrat pet projects.
Seniors know that the IRA dealt them a raw deal and they’re furious, as a recent AMAC Action-sponsored poll conducted by ProMark Research reveals. The broad consensus among seniors over the IRA’s impact on Medicare costs, drug access, and green energy subsidies is significant given that the survey is drawn from a diverse group of 800 participants, with political affiliations spanning 39% Republican, 33% Democrat, and 25% Independent and which is 46% men and 54% women.
Respondents were particularly outraged over the IRA’s changes to Medicare’s prescription drug coverage program (Part D). A staggering 83% expressed concern about rising premiums. Now, keep in mind that the IRA’s backers promised to make the Medicare Part D beneficiaries better off by mandating caps on out-of-pocket expenses and limiting base premium increases. And part of that plan meant shifting costs to insurance companies serving Part D. As a result, Part D premiums in some cases increased by over 400% in just two years. Some companies have left the Part D market, leaving Medicare beneficiaries with fewer plan choices and restricted access to care.
Adding to their frustration, respondents viewed subsidies to insurance companies meant to hide the rising cost of premiums (in an election year) as a misuse of taxpayer money. An overwhelming 78% of the senior voter respondents opposed ongoing government subsidies to insurance companies. These subsidies were part of an 11th hour “demonstration” gimmick the Biden administration cobbled together to rescue the act from some of it’s most damaging, but predictable, consequences.
For seniors on fixed incomes, even small increases in healthcare costs can be devastating. Respondents frequently cited fears of being priced out of their plans and losing access to critical medications. The narrowing of prescription drug plan options—down 11% in 2024 and projected to drop another 26% in 2025—compounds their concerns.
Major drug companies have already cited the IRA as the reason for pulling back on their development of new drugs, because with price controls, they don’t have the money for research. It can cost more than $2.5 billion just to develop a single drug. This is going to hurt seniors, who take more prescription medications than the general population. There has been a reported 36% decline in new drug trials just since the Act’s passage. And 135 curesfor diseases may never be developed as a result of the IRA, according to University of Chicago economist Tom Phillipson. Seniors are justly alarmed over delayed or lost advancement in life-saving treatments and cures, with 86% of seniors in the survey agreeing that efforts to reduce costs should not hinder access to essential medications.
The survey revealed that seniors are particularly incensed about taxpayer-funded green energy subsidies. The poll reveals that 83% of respondents are either “very concerned” or “somewhat concerned” about billions of taxpayer dollars benefiting a small, wealthier segment of Americans. They’re understandably upset that the IRA is diverting hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicare programs toward green energy schemes such as electric vehicle credits, which almost exclusively benefit people with substantial incomes. The policy could scarcely be more out of touch with the everyday struggles of average Americans, particularly seniors living on fixed incomes.
One of the strongest takeaways from the AMAC Action poll is the overwhelming support among seniors for reallocating IRA funds back to Medicare. Across the political spectrum, fully 85% of respondents agreed that Congress should redirect funds diverted from Medicare for green energy subsidies and other initiatives to reduce Medicare costs for seniors. Many argued that these funds should be used to lower premiums, reduce out-of-pocket expenses, and expand coverage options—critical priorities for their financial and physical well-being.
The AMAC Action poll underscores the growing consensus that the current trajectory of Medicare under the IRA is unsustainable and requires immediate attention. Seniors are united in calling for the realignment of federal spending priorities to better serve their healthcare needs. In fact, a decisive 70% of respondents support pausing or suspending the IRA’s implementation to address its flaws or consider a repeal.
At a minimum, the incoming Trump administration should pause execution of this harmful program long enough to gather feedback and implement needed reforms to mitigate its damaging consequences. Better yet, the Trump administration should use the pause to navigate the law through full repeal.
Andy Mangione is senior vice president at AMAC Action, the advocacy affiliate of AMAC – Association of Mature American Citizens, an organization representing Americans who are age 50-plus. This column provided courtesy of Real Clear Wire.
Phil Izon, who spearheaded the first campaign to repeal ranked choice voting in Alaska, said today that he is withdrawing his petition to avoid confusion, since there is another group trying to do the same thing.
In a statement to Must Read Alaska, Izon said:
“I have made the decision to withdraw my petition to repeal Ranked Choice Voting.
“For the past two years, I’ve dedicated myself to the fight against Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), working tirelessly to protect the integrity of our election systems. Together with incredible grassroots support, we’ve made remarkable progress: helping six states prevent the adoption of RCV, debating three Alaska legislators, three Oregon legislators, the father of RCV in Oakland and San Francisco, and even Presidential Candidate for the Libertarian Party Chase Oliver.
“Despite being outspent 100 to 1 by out-of-state interests pouring $15 million into defending RCV, we stood strong, losing by only a fraction of a percent after two weeks of counting. We fought not only in the court of public opinion but also in Alaska’s legal system, where we successfully defended our ballot measure with unanimous victories in both the Alaska Superior Court and the Alaska Supreme Court.
“Though we fell just short this time, I firmly believe RCV is on life support. Momentum is building across the nation, and I’m already offering my support to efforts in Maine and here at home in Alaska to continue this important work. This isn’t the end—it’s another step in the fight to ensure fair, transparent elections for all. Thank you for standing with me in this journey; together, we’ll keep moving forward.
“With the formation of a new group dedicated to repealing Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), I have made the difficult decision to withdraw my application. I believe it’s important to avoid duplicating efforts and the potential confusion of having two repeal measures on the ballot simultaneously. My hope is that this new group can achieve their goal—it’s not an easy task, but I fully support their mission and wish them success in this important endeavor.
“I will finish my two new petitions soon and I look forward to having everyone’s help on those,” Izon said.
At the same time Izon was filing his application on Dec. 16 for a petition to try to repeal RCV at the ballot box for the second time, a second group was also filing, and it has people such as Bernadette Wilson, Judy Eledge, and former Rep. Ken McCarty involved.
Their petition to the Division of Elections, also filed Dec. 16, is under review and they should be getting an answer back by mid-February, along with petition booklets so they can start the process of getting enough signatures to get the question on the next general election ballot.
The second group, which is yet to adopt a name, believes they have the political muscle behind them to get the repeal passed and they believe they can raise the money to fight the Outside dark money referred to by Izon, who is now turning his attention to his other petitions — requiring photo ID at the ballot box and a move to paper ballots.
Bernadette Wilson, who is the spokesperson for the other group, said, “We are excited to take another shot at ending ranked choice voting as one united front. Ranked-choice voting disenfranchises, and discriminates against voters and Alaskans are ready to repeal. Even after $15 million was spent lying to Alaskans about what a repeal would do, the repeal failed by less than 700 votes. We feel very optimistic heading into 2026 that Alaskans will refuse to be duped again.”
Wilson was the manager of the last conservative ballot measure to pass in Alaska — the 2010 parental notification law that pertained to minors receiving abortions without their parents’ knowledge.
