Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Republican candidate Nancy Dahlstrom for Alaska’s U.S. House race.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump praised Dahlstrom as a “winner” and a “proven fighter.”
Dahlstrom, currently Alaska’s governor, is a former legislator and former commissioner of Corrections. She is running against incumbent Democrat Mary Peltola and fellow Republican Nick Begich III.
All three leading candidates have secured significant endorsements, but for Republicans, Trump’s endorsement is particularly influential as he is the presumptive GOP nominee for president this year. However, Trump’s endorsement does not ensure victory in Alaska elections.
In 2022, Trump endorsed former Governor Sarah Palin for the U.S. House. However, in both the special and regular elections that year, Peltola received more first-choice votes than either Republican. Palin finished second, and Begich third. Palin gained additional votes through ranked-choice voting, with more than half of Begich voters selecting her as their second choice. Despite this, Peltola maintained her lead.
Currently, Trump criticizes Peltola as “unpopular” and blames Begich for not exiting the race two years ago, which he claims allowed the Democrat to win.
Trump also vaguely accused Begich of having “Democrat tendencies” without further explanation. This is ambiguous, considering Begich’s Democratic family background—his uncle is former U.S. Senator Mark Begich, D-Alaska. However, Nick Begich is a registered Republican and is favored by many conservatives in Alaska and nationally, including members of the hard-right Freedom Caucus in the U.S. House.
To prevent splitting the Republican vote this year, Begich has promised to withdraw if he trails behind Dahlstrom in the primary.
