The candidates for the at-large congressional seat in Alaska appeared to guarantee bipartisanship in the lone debate of the election, which would utilize ranked-choice voting – although not all of them, including former Gov. Sarah Palin, were able to refrain from taking partisan punches.
Despite being the incumbent, Democratic Representative Mary Peltola won a special election to replace the late Don Young in August and was sworn in on September 13. Peltola, the first woman to serve the state in the House and the first Alaska Native in Congress, is also the first Democrat to hold the state’s House seat in nearly 50 years — a state Trump won by 10 points in 2020.
Since her arrival in Washington, Peltola has attempted to highlight her bipartisan credentials and has even maintained a significant number of Young’s staff. Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, stated last week that she would put Peltola first.
In addition to Palin and Peltola, Republican businessman Nick Begich and Libertarian candidate Chris Bye participated in the Wednesday night debate.
At one point during the argument, Peltola stated that “partisanship is the greatest threat to our country’s foreign and domestic policies.” When offered the opportunity to pose a question to a fellow candidate, she asked Palin about partisanship.
Before a debate in Anchorage, Alaska, on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, candidates for Alaska’s lone House seat enjoy a joke. Left to right: Republican Sarah Palin, Democrat Mary Peltola, Republican Nick Begich, and Libertarian Chris Bye. Mark Thiessen / AP
Former state legislator Peltola stated on Wednesday that her history with Palin “surprises many people.”
Peltola told Palin, “We worked very well together in Juneau for two years, and you worked extremely effectively in a bipartisan manner, at least with the House members.” Those were the two best years of my ten-year career, thanks to the positive working connection with the third floor and you in particular.
Palin remarked, “It’s so weird that even in this election, people hold our friendship against us.” “They act as though they’re not truly dedicated to the tenets of their own programs, since their ideologies are so diametrically opposed to one another. … It is rather disappointing to live in a time with so much division, so much politics and personal devastation, and especially so many campaign lies. Therefore, it is encouraging to stand next to someone who understands the situation. Maybe it’s something about Alaskan women, you know. Tough Alaskans, commercial fish, and being pregnant while in government – we faced fire for all of these things. As a personal and professional example, let this continue forever.”
Peltola said that she believed it was “very vital” to demonstrate “how to be a candidate in a courteous manner, without degrading others personally or professionally.”
Although Palin had earlier touted her bipartisan work as governor, she struggled to say whether she would support a plan proposed by Democrats later in the debate.
“We must also keep in mind that Barack Obama still wields significant influence in Washington, D.C.,” she stated. “Remember that he vowed to reform America profoundly. Therefore, if a law was introduced that reflected anything he represents, I would not work on it.”
Palin secured Trump’s backing in the election, and she stated that he phoned her following Young’s passing on Wednesday evening.
The moderators questioned the candidates if they believed the House committee on January 6 made the correct decision to subpoena Trump and if they believed Trump “committed any crimes in relation to the January 6 incident at the U.S. Capitol.”
She said that she did not believe he committed any crimes.
Bye stated, “Trump is not on the ballot” and blamed “the media and a political party” for “dragging this out.”
If no candidate receives 50% of the vote in the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes is removed and their votes are distributed to the voters’ second-choice choices.
In the August special election between Peltola, Palin, and Begich, Peltola led with approximately 40% of the vote after the first round. Palin placed second with 30.9% of the vote, while Begich placed third with 26.2%. Following the redistribution of Begich’s votes to his voters’ second-choice candidate, Peltola surpassed the winning threshold of 50%.
Palin has opposed ranked-choice voting, and on Wednesday evening she stated, “partisanship’s attempt to get someone elected has transformed our entire voting system into one that is not very good.”
At a September press conference, she urged Begich to withdraw, claiming that their candidacies would divide the Republican support.
Wednesday’s debate was part of Alaska Public Media, Alaska’s News Source, and KTOO’s partnership, Debate for the State 2022.