Juneau (Alaska, US), Nov 21 (AP) Republican Nick Begich has won Alaska's US House race, defeating Democratic Rep Mary Peltola to claim the seat once held by his grandfather.
Begich was among the opponents Peltola defeated during her special and regular election wins in 2022, following the death of Republican Rep Don Young. Young had held the seat for 49 years. Peltola, who is Yup'ik, was the first Alaska Native in Congress.
Republicans, seeking to maintain control of the House, eagerly sought to win back the seat.
Final results from the November 5 election, which included ranked choice vote tabulations, were released Wednesday, which also marked the deadline for elections officials to receive ballots mailed from overseas.
Peltola, in a statement, said: “Working for Alaska as a member of our federal delegation has been the honour of my life.”
“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,” she said. Alaska's congressional delegation has three members.
“Nick, I'm rooting for you,” she said. “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.”
Begich comes from a line of Democratic politicians: his grandfather, the late Rep Nick Begich, held the House seat before Young. One of his uncles, Mark, was a US senator, and another, Tom, was a state senator. Begich has said he is a lifelong Republican.
Begich went all-in in the lead-up to the August primary, saying he would drop out of the race if he finished behind another Republican. He said he saw that as a way to drive interest in the open primary, in which the top four vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the ranked choice vote general election. To some, the primary had almost an anti-climactic feeling.
Peltola, Begich and Republican Lt Gov Nancy Dahlstrom were the most prominent candidates among the 12 competing in the primary and the only ones to report raising money. Dahlstrom boasted support from now-President-elect Donald Trump and House leaders. (AP) NPK
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