After spending over a year calling Nick Begich III a scammer of seniors, a slave-owner of workers, and a man who single-handedly would lead to there being no fish, children, or jobs in Alaska, Rep. Mary Peltola conceded in the evening of Nov. 20, after the ranked-choice tabulation took place in the Juneau office of the state Division of Elections.
She wished Congressman-elect Begich well in a prepared statement:
“Working for Alaska as a member of our federal delegation has been the honor of my life. Thank you all for that opportunity. I’ll tell you, working for all of Alaska isn’t easy. Some say we have six regions; others say twelve distinct regions, cultures, and communities with unique and sometimes conflicting needs.
“The path ahead will not be built by one person or three people working for all of Alaska but by all Alaskans working together to build a future that works for all of us. No one in the Lower 48 is coming to save us. It’s up to us. As I close out this campaign and term in Congress, I want to thank my family and staff. Your sacrifices for Alaska might go unseen by most, but we all know their impact.
“To both my Campaign and Congressional teams, thank you. You’ve lifted me up during difficult times. You achieved generational wins for Alaska. You brought so many new people into the Alaska political process. You amplified Alaskans’ voices across the country. And you made fish a national issue. I am forever thankful to all of you for that.
“Nick, I’m rooting for you. Please don’t forget when DC people keep telling you that you are one of three, you are actually one of more than seven hundred thousand Alaskans who are ready to fight for our state, myself included.”
Gone were her accusations that Begich was a conspiracy theorist and gone were her attacks on NBIII’s father, Nick Begich II, who is the son of Alaska’s former Congressman Nick Begich. She was back to being “nice Mary.”
Peltola ran what some in Alaska consider to be the most toxic campaign that Alaska has ever seen. She denied knowing anything about the statements she put out that said Begich would destroy all fish, jobs and all hope for the future. She denied she had made ads like this one:
Now, as she concedes, Peltola says she is “rooting for you” to Begich, before using a veiled term indicating that she is ready to fight again. Some say she is going to ramp up to run for governor in 2026 or for Senate against Sen. Dan Sullivan.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who endorsed Peltola, wrote a polite reaction to the result, which had been forecasted by many in recent days:
“I congratulate Representative-elect Nick Begich on his election to be Alaska’s at-large Congressman. I look forward to working with him as a partner in our Congressional delegation and the opportunities we will have to advance Alaska’s priorities in the coming Congress.
“To my friend, Mary: working with you as a member of the delegation has been a privilege. You have represented Alaskans well throughout your short tenure, and navigated this journey while facing unimaginable personal tragedy with grace, humility, and determination. Alaska has been made better with your service in Congress.”
Of the many accomplishments for Alaska by Peltola was voting to permit men and boys to use women’s and girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms, and not showing up for 40% of the congressional votes taken over the summer of 2024. She also sent tens of thousands of campaign-style letters using her official letterhead and passing the costs off to taxpayers in the waning days of her campaign, which was the most expensive in Alaska history.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy also wrote a congratulatory note for Begich. Initially, he had endorsed Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, but then endorsed Begich after Dahlstrom dropped out after the primary.
“I want to congratulate Congressman-elect Nick Begich on winning Alaska’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. With President Trump returning to office, Alaska’s future looks bright once again. I am confident that the Biden-Harris policies, which have worked to strangle our economy and undermine our Alaskan way of life over the past four years, are thankfully nearing an end. My administration is eager to work with Congressman-elect Begich to incentivize private sector investment in Alaska, creating new jobs that can support families and attract young people looking “North to the Future” for fresh opportunities.”
“Begich will kill all the fish in the Yukon! Begich will kill all of your fish!” Glad those insanely stupid ads are gone. They proved she has disdain and disrespect for her people if she thinks they are stupid enough to believe that idiocy.
Glad she is gone. Now there is just one Democrat representing Alaska. Lisa Pelosi. Now she needs to be gone.
It would be nice if the Alaska GOP would grow a spine and recall Lisa. She is horrible for Alaska and an embarrassment for our state on a national scale.
You are correct as the current and last administrations are responsible for the lack of fish. How many years has it been now that the Kenai doesn’t have enough kings?
Prince William sound is next as the halibut and salmon and shrimp are being depleted at very fast rate. My calls to biologist and state employees fell on death ears.
As long as big money fishing industry is in control the normal Alaska citizen gets to pick up the crumbs. Toxic Mary did nothing but let the policies continue so she is the fish killer.
Hold the presses! Breaking news: A consortium of fish, including reds, silvers, kings, pinks and yes even chum demand their votes be counted. This could tip the scales (fish)!
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Mary’s four-paragraph non-concession should have been three sentences. Her staff (she didn’t write this) couldn’t help themselves by stomping their feet as Mary walks out the door and slams it behind her. And Lisa. Her note rings hollow. She did everything she could to quietly behind the scenes torpedo Begich. Just like the other establishment Republicans who supported Mary. We all watched it. And Mary’s accomplishments? Please, I’ve seen driftwood floating downstream with more. First Mary, next Lisa. And Dunleavy supporting Dahlstrom? She was his Lt. Gov. He had to back her play. She was on his team. But he didn’t burn down anyone else in the process. There’s a lesson there, Lisa.
Murkowski You are next
Alaskans quickly came to realize that Peltola was not really the “Second Coming of Don Young” that she claimed to be. It wasn’t quick enough….. but we got there eventually!