Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom of Alaska suddenly withdrew her congressional campaign. This could hurt the Democrats hopes of keeping a key U.S. House spot. Dahlstrom was running against Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, who was already in office, and Republican Nick Begich III, who comes from a great political family in Alaska.
Dahlstrom ultimately decided not to support Begich, but she did say that her main goal was to see Peltola lose. “I entered this race because Alaskans deserve better representation than what we have received from Mary Peltola in Washington,” Dahlstrom stated.
Voters in Alaska approved ranked-choice voting in 2020, which has made the state’s elections even more complicated. In this state, unlike others, the winner is not immediately announced as the person who got the most votes. This is clear from Peltola’s first general election win, which happened after the death of Republican Representative Don Young. The ranked-choice method proved successful for two Republican candidates, including former Governor Sarah Palin, even though they got more votes than Peltola.
Under a regular election system, Alaska is a solid red state. It has a Cook Political Report ranking of R+9. There are currently 220 more Republicans than Democrats in the U.S. House, with four open positions. If the race in Alaska isn’t as close, Republicans may be better protected.
Some Republicans, like Kelly Tshibaka, who lost a ranked-choice race to Sen. Lisa Murkowski, have said that the method makes people more negative. However, supporters say it lessens polarization and helps more reasonable lawmakers. Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom of Alaska, quitting would have a big effect on the race and the balance of power in Congress.
