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Nick Begich III

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Nick Begich
Born (1977-10-21) October 21, 1977 (age 46)
Anchorage, Alaska
Occupation(s)Businessman · politician
Known forCandidate for Alaska’s congressional seat (2022 and 2024)
Political partyRepublican

Nicholas "Nick" J. Begich III (born October 21, 1977) is an Alaskan businessman and politician, as well as grandson of former U.S. Representative Nicholas Joseph Begich. He is a Republican candidate for Alaska's seat in the US House of Representatives in the 2024 election He supports conservative fiscal policies, increasing Alaska's potential for providing natural resources to the U.S. in an effort to reduce reliance on foreign components in production of goods, and abortion rights being mandated at a state level. He opposes transgender athletes participating in sports for the gender they identify as, and refers to some methods of scientific study that point to fossil fuel production as contributing to climate change as "the carbon lie". He advocates curtailing the power of electronic platforms that control the flow of information.

He ran for the Eagle River / Chugiak seat in the Anchorage Assembly in 2016, losing to then-incumbent Amy Demboski.

In the 2022 Alaska special election, Begich was the majority-preferred candidate,[1][2] with most voters ranking him above either one of his opponents, Democrat Mary Peltola and right-wing Republican Sarah Palin.[3] However, Alaska's ranked-choice algorithm caused Begich to come in third, an example of an electoral pathology called a center squeeze.[2][3][4]

Early life

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Born in Anchorage, Alaska, Begich was raised in Florida by his maternal grandparents.[5]

He attended Master's Academy in Oviedo, Florida for high school, where he was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame for cross-country.[6] He returned to Alaska in 2004 with his wife, Dharna Begich.[7]

Education

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Begich received an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in 1995.[8] IHe graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (BBA).[9] Begich later graduated from Indiana University Bloomington with a Master of Business Administration (MBA).[9]

Business career

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Begich founded FarShore Partners, a software development company with, in 2016, approximately 150 employees who were mostly located in India.[10] In 2022, the company had offices in Anchorage, Nevada, Croatia, and India.[11] He also holds a share in Earthpulse Press, a publisher based in Anchorage[11] (16.33% in 2022) which is known for its conspiracy theories, Antisemitism, and "pseudoscience".[12] Begich's 2022 campaign manager released a statement that he is not involved in the operations of the Press, and his only income from it is equity interest.[12]

He was elected as one of the five Board Directors for the Matanuska Telecom Association (MTA), a major telecommunications cooperative, in 2017, 2019, and 2021.[13] In 2017, he also began serving as the President for the Matanuska Telephone Association Foundation.[14]

In 2017, Begich was recognized in the National Federation of Croatian Americans' "40 Under 40" list.[15]

Political career

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He is a member of the Begich family, a well-known family of Alaska politicians including Mark Begich among others. He is the grandson of Nick Begich I.[10]

He ran for the Eagle River / Chugiak seat in the Anchorage Assembly in 2016 against then-incumbent Amy Demboski.[16] Demboski won the election with 58% of the vote.[17]

Begich was the Finance Committee co-chair for the Alaska Republican Party from 2016-2018.[citation needed] In 2018, he held the Republican National Committee (RNC) Alaska Party Chair Proxy Vote[jargon] and served as president for the Alaska Policy Forum's Board of Directors.[citation needed]

In 2020, Begich was a co-chair for the OneAlaska campaign, which opposed a ballot initiative that would have increase Alaska's oil tax.[18] Begich served as a Co-Chair for Congressman Don Young’s 2020 campaign, alongside former Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Rhonda Boyles.[19] He also joined the Club for Growth Inaugural Fellows Program.[20]

Alaska's at-large congressional district

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In October 2021, Begich filed to run for Alaska's congressional seat, challenging incumbent Don Young.[21] After Young died suddenly in March 2022, a special election was called to elect a successor who would complete the remainder of his term, where Begich faced off against Democrat Mary Peltola and fellow Republican Sarah Palin. A post-election analysis of the ballots for the race showed Begich to be the majority-preferred candidate,[1][2] with more than half of all voters ranking him above both his opponents.[3] However, Alaska's ranked-choice algorithm caused Begich to come in third, an example of an electoral pathology called a center squeeze.[2][3][4]

In the regular election just over two months later in November of 2022, Begich again placed third behind Peltola and Palin. Peltola's improved performance meant she became the majority-preferred candidate in this election, but analyses of the ballots once again found a majority of voters preferred Begich to Palin, despite finishing third in the official results.[3]

Political positions

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2022 Congressional election

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When campaigning for the 2022 Congressional election, Begich stated that he supported conservative fiscal policies, arguing that then-incumbent Don Young allowed Alaska to be "shortchanged" in the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.[22] Begich faulted Young for missing committee meetings and Congressional votes, pointing to Young's age.[22]

He also stated that Alaska's desire to be a producer of natural resources domestically for the U.S. had not been adequately presented by Alaska's federal Congressional members.[22] He cited the Congo as the source for electronic components in daily-use devices such as smartphones and green technology, pointing to the presence of cobalt deposits in Alaska as an alternative source, and stating that natural resource development is key for Alaska.[5]

Begich advocated for transparency in the government[5] and stated that he did not approve of Alaska's ranked-choice voting system, but he was confident in Alaska's election process.[23] He did state during his campaign his position that technology platforms control the flow of information, and advocated curtailing the power of the firms who own those platforms.[24]

He also said that government officials should not be able to trade stock in public companies because of the potential benefit to policy-makers,[5] and that he opposes gun control legislation.[24] He supported Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturning of Roe v. Wade, stating that the issue of abortion should be handled at the state level, saying that he would not support a federal abortion ban.[5][24] Begich also stated his opposition to transgender athletes participating in sports for the gender with which they identify.[24]

Begich commented in 2022 that because foreign countries are such a large part of the supply chain of products consumed in the U.S., the component pieces are produced in conditions he referred to as "environmental arbitrage", which he defined as the appropriation of such resources by methods which would not be acceptable in the U.S.[24] He pointed to this as the reason for fewer manufacturing jobs in the U.S. and increased global pollution.[24]

2024 Congressional election

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See also: 2024 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska

Begich accused incumbent Peltola of working against Alaska's interests in their debate at the Alaska Oil and Gas Association's annual conference in August 2024.[25] He advocated Congress passing laws which would be consistent with SCOTUS' decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo overruling the 1984 Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. arguing that such legislation would make it more likely for projects to be federally approved.[25] He referred to climate change methods in scientific studies that point to fossil fuel production as a major contributing factor as "the carbon lie", claiming that they were an attempt to "shut us [Alaska] down".[25]

Though Donald Trump accused Begich in June 2024 of costing Republicans the Alaskan Congressional seat in the 2022 election with the claim that Begich "has Democrat tendencies",[26] as of September 2024, Trump endorsed Begich, a move that followed Trump's previous pick, Lt. Governor Nancy Dahlstrom, dropping out of the race.[27] A February-March 2024 poll of voters likely to cast a ballot in the 2024 elections found that 65% of respondents didn't recognize Dahlstrom's name, depite the favor from PACs associated with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson.[28] That poll also placed Peltola and Begich at even odds.[28]

Begich has also received the endorsement of the Freedom Fund, the PAC of the House Freedom Caucus.[29][30] Prior to the August primary, Begich had stated that federal Republican politics have become obstructionist.[31] He also stated that government should operate in the background of daily affairs, and claimed that increasing reliance on "electrification" in the U.S. relies on resources from "Communist China".[31]

When asked prior to the September 2024 vote on funding the U.S. government, Begich responded to questions as to his position on a potential shutdown by criticizing Peltola's voting record in Congress.[32] Peltola had addressed this complaint in an August 2024 debate with Begich, stating that she had missed votes due to deaths in her family.[25]

References

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  1. ^ a b Maskin, Eric; Foley, Edward B. (November 1, 2022). "Opinion: Alaska's ranked-choice voting is flawed. But there's an easy fix". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Graham-Squire, Adam; McCune, David (September 11, 2022). "A Mathematical Analysis of the 2022 Alaska Special Election for US House". p. 2. arXiv:2209.04764v3 [econ.GN]. Since Begich wins both … he is the Condorcet winner of the election … AK election also contains a Condorcet loser: Sarah Palin. … she is also a spoiler candidate
  3. ^ a b c d e Clelland, Jeanne N. (February 28, 2023). "Ranked Choice Voting And the Center Squeeze in the Alaska 2022 Special Election: How Might Other Voting Methods Compare?". p. 6. arXiv:2303.00108v1 [cs.CY].
  4. ^ a b Atkinson, Nathan; Ganz, Scott C. (October 30, 2022). "The flaw in ranked-choice voting: rewarding extremists". The Hill. Retrieved May 14, 2023. However, ranked-choice voting makes it more difficult to elect moderate candidates when the electorate is polarized. For example, in a three-person race, the moderate candidate may be preferred by a majority of voters to each of the more extreme candidates. However, voters with far-left and far-right views will rank the candidate in second place rather than in first place. Since ranked-choice voting counts only the number of first-choice votes (among the remaining candidates), the moderate candidate would be eliminated in the first round, leaving one of the extreme candidates to be declared the winner.
  5. ^ a b c d e Stone, Eric (August 15, 2022). Republican U.S. House candidate Nick Begich discusses run for Congress. KRBD (Interview). Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  6. ^ "Nicholas Begich III (2011) - Hall of Fame - The Master's Academy". TMAAthletics.com. The Master's Academy. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  7. ^ Rostad, Mike (June 4, 2024). "Begich, in a second bid for Congress, stops in Kodiak". Kodiak Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on September 26, 2024. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  8. ^ "Service Academies Appoint Students from Central Florida". Orlando Sentinel. July 31, 2021 [9 July 1995]. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Kelly, Devin (September 28, 2016) [2016-02-12]. "Nicholas Begich III and Blake Merrifield file for Anchorage Assembly". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Kelly, Devin (September 28, 2016) [2016-03-18]. "In Chugiak-Eagle River Assembly race, big names compete for recognition". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Ruskin, Liz (April 18, 2022). "Nick Begich is running a million-dollar campaign for Alaska's US House seat, most of it from his own pocket". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Woebler, Paxson (October 19, 2022). "Congressional candidate Nick Begich III co-owns, holds key positions at notorious conspiracy theory organization". Alaska Landmine. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  13. ^ "2020 Annual Report". mtasolutions.com. Matanuska Telecom Association. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  14. ^ "MTA Foundation Inc". ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. May 9, 2013. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  15. ^ "Nicholas Begich III - NFCACF". October 10, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  16. ^ Hughes, Zachariah (February 17, 2016). "12 Assembly candidates to appear on Anchorage ballot". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  17. ^ Hillman, Anne; Hughes, Zacariah (April 5, 2016). "Liberals get edge in Anchorage elections, massive school bond fails". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  18. ^ "OneAlaska Forms to Oppose Ballot Measure Aimed at Overhauling State's Oil Tax Structure". ASRC.com. Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  19. ^ "Don Young names Rhonda Boyles, Nicholas Begich III to co-chair 2020 campaign". Must Read Alaska. May 4, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  20. ^ "Nicholas Begich III". Club for Growth Foundation. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  21. ^ "Nick Begich running to unseat Don Young". E & E News by Politico. Politico. October 25, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  22. ^ a b c Segall, Peter (December 1, 2021). "Nick Begich III touts fiscal conservatism in U.S. House race". Juneau Empire. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  23. ^ Vitali, Ali; Talbot, Haley; Bowman, Bridget (August 16, 2022). "Begich says he will accept results, but criticizes Alaska's ranked choice 'confusion'". NBC Meet the Press. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  24. ^ a b c d e f "Candidate Q&A: U.S. House — Nick Begich III". Alaska Public Media (Interview). August 10, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  25. ^ a b c d Kitchenman, Andrew (August 28, 2024). "U.S. House candidates seek Alaska oil and gas industry support in forum". Alaska Beacon. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  26. ^ Samuels, Iris (August 17, 2024) [2024-06-17]. "Trump endorses Dahlstrom in Alaska's U.S. House race". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  27. ^ Samuels, Iris (September 18, 2024). "Trump endorses Begich in Alaska's U.S. House race". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  28. ^ a b Ruskin, Liz (March 14, 2024). "Poll shows Peltola is well known and liked but that Begich is just as likely to win Alaska's seat in Congress". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved September 25, 2024 – via KTOO.
  29. ^ Karni, Annie (August 21, 2024). "Peltola Finishes First in Alaska House Primary, With Begich as Top Challenger". The New York Times. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  30. ^ Ruskin, Liz (May 10, 2024). "Alaska U.S. House candidate Begich gets Freedom Fund endorsement". Alaska Public Media (Interview). Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  31. ^ a b Woolsey, Robert (August 19, 2024). "Unhappy with 'caustic' politics, House candidate Begich seeks a return to normalcy". KCAW. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  32. ^ Brooks, James (September 19, 2024). Kitchenman, Andrew (ed.). "Peltola supports Democratic plan to avert government shutdown, Begich III takes no position". Alaska Beacon. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
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