Since announcing that she’d like to be named Alaska’s next member of Congress, Sarah Palin has won the endorsements of political luminaries, such as former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump.
Her closest competitor at this point, businessman Nick Begich, announced more endorsements from influential Alaskans: Rhonda Boyles, the co-chair of the 2020 Alaskans for Don Young campaign, Barbara Haney of Fairbanks.
Boyles is the former mayor of Fairbanks and is the treasurer of the Alaska Republican Party. Haney is an economist with a Ph.D., and is active in Republican Party politics in Fairbanks. Also endorsing Begich is Fairbanks businessman Seth Church. Begich’s list of endorsements also include:
- Jesse Sumner – Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly Member
- Michael Welch – North Pole Mayor
- Glenda Ledford – Wasilla Mayor
- Charlie Pierce – Kenai Borough Mayor
- Mark Jensen – Petersburg Mayor
- Jubilee Underwood – Mat-Su School Board
- Shelley Hughes – Senate Majority Leader
- Mike Cronk – State House Member
- Dee McKee – Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly member
- Jamie Allard – Anchorage Assembly member
- Ken McCarty – State House member
- Kevin McCabe – State House member
- Rob Yundt – Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly member
- Crystal Kennedy – Anchorage Assembly
- Pamela Melin – Palmer Deputy Mayor
- Teea Winger – Kenai Council member
- Thomas Bergey – Mat-Su School Board
- Roger Holland – State Senator
- Tom McKay – State House member
- Pete Kelly – Former Alaska State Senate President
- Mike Prax – State House member
- Ron Gillham – State House member
- Jai Mahtani – Ketchikan City Council
- Bill Elam – Kenai Borough Assembly member
- Lynn Gattis – Former State House member
- George McKee – Former Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly member
- Mike Shower – State Senator
- Richard Derkevorkian – Kenai Borough Assembly member
- Clay Koplin – Cordova Mayor
- Sarah Vance – State House member
- Ben Carpenter – State House member
- Josh Verhagen – Mayor of Nenana
- Matthew Sampson – Fairbanks North Star Borough School District School Board
- Jimi Cash – Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly
- Charisse Millett – Former Alaska House Majority Leader
- Dan Kendall – Former Anchorage Assembly member
Nick has also received endorsements from:
- Associated Builders and Contractors, Alaska Chapter
- Alaska Outdoor Council
- Anchorage Young Republicans
- Eagle River District 22 Republicans
- Homer District 6 Republicans
- Interior District 36 Republicans
- Kenai Peninsula Republican Women of Alaska
- Republican Women of Fairbanks
- Valdez and Mat-Su District 29 Republicans
Others who are in the running for Congress include the Democrats’ favorite candidate, Al Gross, who announced last week he had several well-known Democrats endorsing him, including former Gov. Tony Knowles, Susan Knowles, former Lt. Gov. Fran Ulmer, former Rep. Beth Kerttula, former State Sen. Joe Paskvan, Dr. Steve Compton, former State Sen. Mike Szmanski, Chief Mike Williams, Dr. Gary Ferguson, former Sen. Hollis French, former Juneau mayor Sally Smith, Jo Michalski, Cathleen McLoulin, and others.
Democrat Chris Constant, who serves on the Anchorage Assembly, has yet to announce any endorsements and Republican Josh Revak has been silent on his, as his campaign struggles to get traction.
The special primary to become the temporary placeholder for Alaska’s only congressional seat is just 65 days away, on June 11. It’s a mail-in election for the special primary, which means that rather than the usual super-voter, the election will have many voters who don’t normally show up for primaries.
With 48 people on the special primary ballot, the rush to get in front of people will create a lot of noise on the airwaves. Palin called into the Mike Porcaro Show on Tuesday to chat about her interest in being elected to Congress. Porcaro and Palin kept the banter light.
As for Begich, he is hitting the road for a big Fairbanks fundraiser on Thursday that has nearly 150 co-hosts.
