Win Gruening: Nick Begich III is hitting it out of the ballpark in Congress

11
Congressman Nick Begich and House Speaker Mike Johnson, in a photo taken from the Speaker's balcony on July 4, 2025.

By WIN GRUENING

Since winning Alaska’s lone US House seat on Nov. 5, 2024, Congressman Nick Begich has astonished even his most ardent fans. With barely 200 days in office, to use a baseball metaphor, Nick is swinging for the fences. He already has an enviable list of feats for someone in a starting position in Congress.

During his campaign, Nick worked to convince voters that he could fill the shoes of the late Congressman Don Young, Alaska’s longest-serving US House Representative.

Despite being outspent 4-1, Nick shut-out the incumbent Democrat and picked off three other Republicans on the ballot for the win. 

After being sworn into office on Jan. 3, he hit the ground running by introducing three bills to strengthen the general welfare of Alaska Native communities. Two of those bills, House Resolution 42: Alaska Native Settlement Trust Eligibility Act, and HR 43: Alaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act of 2025 were signed into law last month, a remarkable double-play for a rookie congressman in his first season.

Straightaway, House leadership recognized Begich as a key utility player, and within days drafted him to serve on three prominent committees and eight subcommittees, a work rotation not normally assigned to newcomers. His committee assignments were Natural Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Space, Science, and Technology. 

In his second week, Nick was tagged as vice-chair of the House Subcommittee for Energy and Mineral Resources, focusing on issues critical to Alaska and the nation. In February, he stepped up to the plate once more as vice-chair of Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. These roles in the Congressional lineup are rarely assigned to freshman legislators.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of having a real pro when it comes to game-changing know-how and experience that can benefit future generations. That’s where Nick is ahead of the curve. In March, Nick’s wide-ranging experience in technology was highlighted when he sponsored HR 2032, the BITCOIN Act of 2025, aimed at creating a regulatory framework for digital assets. 

In separate but related legislation, Nick advocated for House passage of the Senate-passed GENIUS Act — short for Generating Essential National Infrastructure for Universal Stability. The legislation creates the first-ever federal regulatory framework for so-called stablecoins, a form of cryptocurrency that is pegged to the US dollar or other traditional assets to minimize volatility. He also co-sponsored the CLARITY Act which established a regulatory framework for “digital commodities,” which includes most cryptocurrencies that rely on a blockchain for their value, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Begich is emerging as one of Congress’s influential voices on cryptocurrency. His knowledge and advocacy in this area led to several national news media interviews and garnering invitations as a featured speaker at a national Bitcoin Policy Institute conference as well aAlaska’s first ever Bitcoin Alaska Conference in Juneau in July. The Juneau conference aimed to promote Bitcoin education, economic empowerment, and bridge the gap between traditional finance and decentralized digital assets in Alaska. With over 120 attendees, approximately 85% were non-local, coming from other Alaska cities and outside the state.

In what may eventually be regarded one of his most significant clutch plays, Rep. Begich, as a member of the Natural Resources Committee, sponsored a budget proposal to increase Alaska’s share of federal leasing revenues from 50% to 90% starting in 2035 (subsequently renegotiated by the Senate to 70% beginning in 2034). This provision was included in the final budget bill signed by President Donald Trump last week.

While this long-sought-after change in Federal leasing revenues will eventually generate billions of additional dollars for the state, other budget provisions championed by Begich will also benefit Alaskans for generations to come. These include re-instated lease sales cancelled by the Biden Administration, regulatory reform, stream-lined permitting, legal protection for projects from court challenges, timber harvest increases, and funding for water-related projects, among others.

Rumors of a rematch between Begich and Democrat Mary Peltola in the 2026 election persist, especially from partisans who wish it true. Nick’s ability to deliver results during such a short period certainly argues against it.

We’re only in the first few innings but just look at the scoreboard. Only beginning to establish his mark in the sport of politics, Rep. Begich’s playing stats are extraordinary.

He is a natural talent who will only improve in the seasons to come.

After retiring as the senior vice president in charge of business banking for Key Bank in Alaska, Win Gruening became a regular opinion page columnist for the Juneau Empire. He was born and raised in Juneau and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1970. He is involved in various local and statewide organizations.

11 COMMENTS

  1. And lets not forget his advocacy for transportation infrastructure and resource development. The DOT “BUILD” grant, awarded to Port MacKenzie is highly dependent on the congressman’s input and promotion of the project it would help fund. The MatSu borough filed for this grant and Nick hit that one out of the park as well.

  2. We always knew that Nicholas would end up being the Begich that holds our family together. So proud of him. The namesake for our famous father, and the best Alaska has to offer.

  3. Why and How anyone voted for that ‘loser’ Peltola defies gravity!!! NB3 is indeed knocking it out of the park and is truly representing the best interest of Alaska and Alaskans. We need to find a similar candidate to replace Daddy’s Little Princess … oh yeah, how’ bout Kelly-T!

  4. Yo Nick… think you might be able to apply pressure such that Treg prosecutes Garrett Elder under State charges? He bilked $30mm out of 130 hard working Alaska families and disgraced Federal Judge Josh Kindred gave Elder a slap on the hand w/ a Federal Prosecutor’s blessing. It was a disgusting miscarriage of justice and deserves to be handled properly at the State level.

  5. Thanks Win for reminding everyone that there is still a great “heavy hitter” from Alaska.

    Nick is such a stark replacement for the party girl from Bethel who spent her time jet setting around the country partying with the democrats just to cill the coffers with political donations.
    She was completely in love with Joe who she swore was the sharpest tool in the shed which seems to be the main topic since his fall from grace. We have since discovered he wasnt even in the shed.

    Thankfully they fooled no one and came up with an empty glove.

    The timing could not have been better with Trump’s agenda regarding our resources.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.