Former President Donald Trump is going after Congressman Don Young, just as he is going after Sen. Lisa Murkowski. He wants both of them retired and considers them “Republican in Name Only.”
In a message on Saturday, he said he was looking for someone to primary Young and several other House of Representative members from around the country, including Rep. Liz Cheney, who he called RINOS, sellouts, and losers. He said he was looking for Republican Patriots.
“You will have my backing!” he said.
Perhaps Trump has not heard or met Nick Begich, a Republican who filed for Congress in October.
Nick spoke in Sterling, Alaska at a Bikers for Trump rally in 2020, and FEC reports show he donated over $500 to Trump’s campaign. He is the grandson of former House Rep. Nick Begich, who died in a plane crash in 1972.
Nick was Congressman Young’s campaign co-chair in 2020 and has told the congressman on numerous occasions that he would someday file for the seat.
Young has served as Alaska’s lone congressman since the elder Begich died and there was a special election held the following March. He is the Dean of the House, the longest-serving member, which is an honorary title.
Trump didn’t say why Young had fallen out of favor with him. He recently was one of 13 House Republicans who voted for the massive infrastructure bill, and President Joe Biden’s Chief of Staff Ron Klain credited Young for putting the deal together.
The infrastructure bill has received criticism from some conservatives for having unnecessary spending in it.
The two Republicans congressional candidates will be on an open primary ballot, in which the top four vote-getters will be on the General Election ballot, where the voters will rank them according to their preference.
In 2020, Young won 192,126 votes to win with 54 percent against Democrat Alyse Galvin, who had 159,856 votes. Trump won Alaska’s majority with 189,951 votes, or 52.8 percent.
In 2018, Young won with 149,779 against Galvin’s 131,199 votes.
Trump has already endorsed Alaskan Kelly Tshibaka in her race against Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Tshibaka is headed to Mar-a-Lago in February for a fundraiser with the former president.
