Only days after the results of the Alaska primary became apparent, and only hours after the Alaska Supreme Court upheld the repeal of ranked-choice voting (RCV), with Democrat Rep. Mary Peltola holding the lead ahead of Republicans Nick Begich III and Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom, now Dahlstrom has withdrawn from the race. This leaves Nick Begich III to face incumbent Mary Peltola. It’s a whole different game now.
In what may be a surprise blow to Democrats’ chances of holding a key red state seat in the U.S. House, Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom announced Friday she is suspending her campaign for Congress.
Dahlstrom was in what was essentially a three-way race with incumbent Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola and Republican Nick Begich III, who comes from a prominent political family in The Last Frontier.
While Dahlstrom did not immediately endorse Begich, she suggested in comments announcing her withdrawal that her reason for running was to see Peltola defeated.
“I entered this race because Alaskans deserve better representation than what we have received from Mary Peltola in Washington,” Dahlstrom said in a statement.
“At this time, the best thing I can do to see that goal realized is to withdraw my name from the general election ballot and end my campaign,” she said.
Dahlstrom added she has always “done what’s right for Alaska, and today is no different.”
Given that the Great Land is still stuck with ranked-choice voting, at least through this November, this is great news for the GOP, not just in Alaska but nationally, as it aids in Republicans’ hopes of retaining and expanding control of the House of Representatives. In presidential elections, Alaska has always been a reliably Republican state, at least since 1964; Alaska, in the second election since statehood, voted for Lyndon Johnson, the only year that Alaska has ever voted for a Democrat. Since the state is represented by one at-large House member, one would expect that the same results would be obtained.