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SPECIAL ELECTION ALERT: Majority Savers Introduces Mary Peltola for Alaska! [1]
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Date: 2022-08-14
Candidate Background
Mary Peltola has a story that is quintessential Alaska. She grew up in various locations across the state, and has had an interesting life. Not a life I could live, which makes me all the more impressed with her.
She, like many Alaskans, headed to the Lower 48 for her college education. She went for an elementary education degree at Northern Colorado University before returning home and pursuing further studies at various Alaska based institutions.
Peltola was elected to the state house in 1998, and she served a grand total of 10 years. She was an effective legislator, passing bills on a multitude of issues that came before her. As a note, her father tried to run for the state house several times but could not manage to win.
Since leaving Juneau, Peltola has been working with various Alaska Native tribes on both fisheries and fitness. She was also a state lobbyist for a short period of time for Alaska.
Here is an introductory ad that expounds more on her background.
Signature Issues
Peltola has to see things in a different light, because Alaska has different issues than anywhere else in the Lower 48 states. Expect to see some unique issues brought up here that are Alaska specific.
Infrastructure : The number one pastime for members of Congress from Alaska is bringing home the bacon. Alaska is a state that is still developing, and the infrastructure is rudimentary at best. Peltola will fight for every dollar and project that Alaska needs to be successful in the future.
Responsible Resource Extraction : Alaska is very rich in natural resources, but doesn’t always take the best approach to harvesting or mining what they have. Peltola is for local control of resources, especially for the Alaska Native tribes who have been stewards of this land for millennia.
Unions and Working Families : Rep. Don Young was friendly with the unions in the state, which are surprisingly strong for what is seen as a red state. Peltola would continue in that tradition in Congress, and one of her main priorities would be passing the PRO Act to strengthen the unions.
Elections History
Recent Elections —
2020 President: TFG (R-inc) 52.8%, Joe Biden (D) 42.8%
2020 House: Don Young (R-inc) 54.4%, Alyse Galvin (I) 45.3%
Special Election Race Rating:
Safe Republican if Nick Begich advances
Leans Republican if loser Sarah Palin advances
2022 PVI: R+8
Alaska is known for doing its own thing and being fiercely independent, which makes it a difficult state for the Lower 48 to handicap. There are some truisms about Alaska though, such as they tend to support the GQP at the presidential level. Alaska has only voted once for a Democratic president, and that was the 1964 Democratic landslide. Joe Biden did the best a Democratic candidate has done in Alaska since that blowout.
Another truism is that it tends to give their incumbents long tenures in Washington, especially if they bring the bacon home to the still developing state. 2008 was an aberration, when legendary Sen. Ted Stevens lost to Mark Begich. 2014 corrected that, when current Sen. Dan Sullivan returned the delegation to GQP control by beating Begich. This state also is home to Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who won a write-in campaign in 2010 to continue representing this state in Congress.
This special election occurred due to the fact that longtime Rep. Don Young (who was crazy as hell yet respectable) died suddenly. Young was the Dean of the House, having served Alaska since a 1973 special election. The chance of winning depends upon whether or not we face quitter Sarah Palin. If Nick Begich is the nominee, forget about it. Polling has shown Peltola competitive with Palin.
Alaska is truly the last frontier. It is easier to fly or boat your way around than it is to drive.
Political Tour of the State
The state is very slowly trending in the blue direction, as the Anchorage and Fairbanks metro areas grow and switch allegiances to the Democratic Party. The path of victory is narrow, but Mark Begich shows that it is possible to win in special circumstances, such as facing a celebrity that abandoned Alaska.
Here’s where this race will be won in Alaska.
Anchorage Metro Area: This metro area is divided politically, but it shifted in the direction of Democratic candidates in 2020. Peltola has a base in Anchorage, and she had better hope that there is a gargantuan turnout from the friendly portions of the city.
This metro area is divided politically, but it shifted in the direction of Democratic candidates in 2020. Peltola has a base in Anchorage, and she had better hope that there is a gargantuan turnout from the friendly portions of the city. Fairbanks Metro Area : This metro area is even more sharply divided, with portions of it being amongst the most liberal while others are deeply conservative. Peltola needs a strong effort from the right portions of the city to have a chance at this thing.
: This metro area is even more sharply divided, with portions of it being amongst the most liberal while others are deeply conservative. Peltola needs a strong effort from the right portions of the city to have a chance at this thing. Alaska Native Vote: The bush is home to many different Alaskan Native tribes, and they tend to be Democratic leaning in nature. Peltola being an Alaska Native candidate could spark a supercharged vote for her, which she will need in order to pull off the upset in this state.
Here’s where we need to keep the margins down, or we lose.
Mat-Su Valley: This is the former home of the Masked Singer contestant, and it is the bastion of conservatism in the state. Peltola cannot expect much help from this borough, and she just needs to limit the losses as effectively as possible.
This is the former home of the Masked Singer contestant, and it is the bastion of conservatism in the state. Peltola cannot expect much help from this borough, and she just needs to limit the losses as effectively as possible. Kenai Area : This part of the state also is deeply conservative, and it will likely choose a member of the GQP over Peltola. She needs to woo whatever small group of voters is open to voting for her and then redouble her efforts in the metro areas.
Activism — Help How You Can!
While it is likely too late to give a meaningful donation to Mary Peltola for the special election, she still could use your donation for the general election in November. She still has to navigate the Top 4 primary for that race, which could be unpredictable. She raised a grand total of $243k during Quarter 2, which is acceptable for a special election. Nick Begich raised $217k for the quarter, and Caribou Barbie raised an eye popping $833k.
It is cash on hand where the disparity is apparent, and why I think Nick Begich is the favorite. Begich has $708k cash on hand for the special election and general election, while the half-term wonder has only $95k left in her campaign coffers. Mary Peltola doesn’t have much more, only reporting $115k at the end of June.
DONATE TO MARY PELTOLA HERE
More important to the campaign on Tuesday are volunteers. If you are inclined to help in the Last Frontier from the safety of your warm abode, sign up for a shift in text banking or phone banking to remind people to vote in the special election. THIS link will allow you to sign up for those last minute activities that might just make a difference.
Mary Peltola is doing okay for a longshot challenger in a land remote from the concerns of the Lower 48. She has 2.2k followers on Twitter, which is nowhere near the level of her challengers but respectable for someone starting from scratch. She is also crisscrossing the state feverishly!
x No days off for Mary! Writing thank you notes for campaign contributors while flying to Kodiak!
- Team Mary pic.twitter.com/YriTyC4YFv — Mary Peltola (@MaryPeltola) July 30, 2022
She is also active on both Facebook (Peltola4Congress) and Instagram (marypeltola). Make sure you don’t have FOMO and go ahead and check out her campaign today!
I realize that Alaska has burned us before, but if quitter Sarah Palin goes head to head with Mary Peltola there is a chance of an upset. Polling says that there is a small chance of that happening, which is why Majority Savers is spending some time boosting her campaign. The Top 4 primary is also in place for the general election, and it will create an interesting dynamic for Alaskans.
How to find all Majority Savers’ diaries:
To find all past and future diaries of the Majority Savers group, go to their Diaries List. (We suggest that you Bookmark that page.) The home page of the Majority Savers group is here.
Mary Peltola for Alaska!
Donate | Volunteer | Campaign | FaceBook | Twitter | Instagram
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