Republican Nick Begich III has won election to Congress.
That’s according to the unofficial final vote count completed Wednesday, and the tabulation of ranked choice ballots.
Begich prevailed over incumbent Democrat Mary Peltola with 48.4% of first-choice votes. The minor congressional candidates — John Wayne Howe of the Alaska Independence Party and a federal inmate, Eric Hafner, who filed as a Democrat — took only 5% of the vote, and the tabulation of those ballots increased Begich’s lead. After ranked choice tabulation, Begich had 51.3% of the vote to Peltola’s 48.7%.
Begich posted a statement on Facebook saying there was much work ahead to improve the lives of Alaskans.
“I’d like to thank Congresswoman Mary Peltola for her service to the state and nation in what is an exceptionally challenging role during an exceptionally challenging moment in our national history,” he said.
Begich’s win flips a seat from Democrat to Republican, adding to the GOP’s slim majority in the House. With three seats still undecided, the Republicans now have 219 members in their majority. The Democratic minority is 213.
Peltola said serving as Alaska’s congresswoman “has been the honor of my life.”
“Nick, I’m rooting for you,” she said in a statement once the results came out. “Please don’t forget when D.C. people keep telling you that you are one of three (members of the state congressional delegation) you are actually one of more than seven hundred thousand Alaskans who are ready to fight for our state, myself included.”
RELATED: Alaska’s ranked choice repeal measure fails by 664 votes
Peltola, a former state legislator, is the only Alaska Native person ever elected to Congress, and the first person elected under Alaska’s system of open primaries and ranked choice voting.
In 2022, she ran on a campaign theme of “fish, family, freedom.” One of her priorities was to rein in the Bering Sea trawl fleet, which is widely blamed, particularly in western Alaska, for poor salmon returns.
Despite low name recognition outside of her home region in Bethel, she finished fourth in a special primary election, when hers was one of 49 names on the ballot. That was enough to get her a spot on the special general election ballot, with Begich and former Gov. Sarah Palin.
Peltola finished first on election night in 2022. When ranked choices were tallied, Palin gained votes from Begich’s ballots, but not enough to catch Peltola. It was a similar story months later, when Peltola won in the regular 2022 election.
In Congress she joined bipartisan groups, spoke up for gun-owners’ rights and tried to put some distance between herself and the Democratic administration.
Begich, a tech entrepreneur and business investor from Chugiak, has never held elected office. He will be sworn in on Jan. 3, 2025, to Alaska’s sole seat in the U.S. House.
His grandfather, also named Nick Begich, was Alaska’s Congressman from 1971 until he disappeared on a chartered flight from Anchorage to Juneau in October 1972.
Begich is the nephew of former U.S. Sen. Mark Begich and former state Sen. Tom Begich. Unlike the new congressman-elect, the other Begich family members to hold public office were Democrats.
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a statement congratulating Begich and celebrating the Republican victory.
“With President Trump returning to office, Alaska’s future looks bright once again,” he said. “I am confident that the Biden-Harris policies, which have worked to strangle our economy and undermine our Alaskan way of life over the past four years, are thankfully nearing an end.”
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she looked forward to working with Begich. And she called Peltola, whom she served with in the state Legislature, a friend.
“You have represented Alaskans well throughout your short tenure, and navigated this journey while facing unimaginable personal tragedy with grace, humility, and determination,” Murkowski said in a statement. “Alaska has been made better with your service in Congress.”
Peltola’s husband, Gene, died in a plane crash a year after she was sworn in.
The results announced Wednesday will remain unofficial until the Division of Elections certifies the vote at the end of the month.
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at lruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Liz here.
