The Alaska Republican Party officers in Ketchikan have long memories.
They have not forgotten that Sarah Palin, when she was governor of Alaska, axed funding to the bridge to their airport, calling it a “bridge to nowhere.” The townspeople and visitors still have to take a ferry to and from the airport of the state’s sixth-largest community, while their bridge funds were redirected to Palin’s pet projects.
They also haven’t forgotten that Palin endorsed the Democrat-backed ticket of Bill Walker and Byron Mallott for governor and lieutenant governor in 2014, rather than endorsing the Republican incumbent Gov. Sean Parnell.
And they haven’t forgotten that the charismatic congressional hopeful quit her job as governor, while blaming “mounting legal bills.” And then went on to have a money-making career as a celebrity.
All that and more is in a resolution censuring Palin, a resolution that passed Ketchikan District 1 Republicans on Monday night.
Ketchikan is a strong Republican town of about 8,230 people, where 54.47% of voters picked President Donald Trump in 2020. Trump has endorsed Palin, but the Alaska Republican Party had endorsed Nick Begich before Palin decided to run. It now appears unlikely that Palin can win favor with the party, which she has said publicly is rift with “good old boys.”
The vote was nearly unanimous, with one person dissenting, while at the same time agreeing with the concerns detailed in the resolution. By censuring Palin, the Alaska District 1 Republican Committee is also pledging to withhold support from her in their district, as Palin makes a run for U.S. Congress this year to fill the shoes left behind by the 49-year Congressman Don Young, who died on March 18.
During the special primary election that ended June 11, Palin won 32% of the vote in Ketchikan, while Nick Begich, her leading opponent, won 18%. Mary Peltola, the Democrat, won 7.5% of votes cast. Statewide, Palin comes into the special general election in the lead with 43,601, or 27% of the vote. Begich was second with 30,861 or 19% and Peltola has 16,265, or 10%. But she evidently didn’t win the votes of Republicans in Ketchikan and now appears to be heading for the center to pick up votes from moderates.
The Ketchikan resolution follows:
