Alaska’s congressional race has narrowed to three candidates in a special election as former Republican governor and vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin seeks a return to public office.
Palin, joined by fellow GOP candidate Nick Begich and Democratic candidate Mary Peltola, participated in two forums in the past week as the push toward the August 16 special election continues.
“I’m very, very thankful that we have great candidates up here,” Palin said, according to the Anchorage Daily News. “You guys have good choices, kind of can’t go wrong.”
Palin’s battle to return to government following a 13-year gap has included an astounding 48-candidate primary held under the state’s recently enacted election laws that removed traditional primaries. The two Republicans and one Democrat remaining will face off in August in a ranked-choice vote.
The primary race, officially certified on Saturday, shifted the election to a new strategic focus that included Palin and Begich both blasting the current Biden administration. The two candidates also celebrated the nation’s change regarding abortion, a key focus following Friday’s Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and returned laws about abortion to states.
“Faceless bureaucrats in some bubble far away — they’re going make decisions for us as individuals, and as a state, when it comes to an issue as important as abortion? No, it should be a state’s issue,” Palin said on Monday at an Anchorage Chamber of Commerce forum.
Begich also affirmed abortion as a decision belonging to the states.
“Under the 10th Amendment, any powers not specifically enumerated to the federal government are reserved for the states,” he said. “We have a constitutional amendment process by which we may modify provisions related to this specific issue. But I think the court was correct in returning this issue to the states.”
Peltola, the lone Democrat remaining in the race, argued for a woman’s right to choose.
“I do not believe the federal government, or for that matter the state government, has say-so in your personal body,” she stated during the forum.
Peltola’s website also affirmed the pro-choice view. “Women should have the right to make decisions about their own health and their own bodies. A repeal of Roe v. Wade would disproportionately impact people of color and low-income women that already have barriers to healthcare. I’m pro-choice, and as your Representative I will work to enshrine protections for women’s reproductive health in federal law,” it added.
Both Republican candidates also emphasized energy independence, as Alaska serves as a major oil producer. Peltola addressed climate change issues as part of her platform. Her website proclaims, “We are living with the effects of climate change, where I’m from the effects are devastating. While we adapt to our changing environment, we need national leadership that prioritizes solutions as large as the problem we face.”
The special election arose following the death of Republican Congressman Don Young, who passed away in March at the age of 88.
As The Daily Wire previously reported, Young had served in Congress since 1973, making him the longest-serving member of the House.
In addition to the special election, the state’s regular primary, also held on August 16, will include 22 names on the ballot that will be narrowed to four ahead of November’s general midterm election.