Nick Begich, a frontrunner in the race for the seat in U.S. House of Representatives left vacant by the death of Don Young, visited Haines on Friday and spoke with Haines voters at the Chilkat Bakery, Captain’s Choice Motel and the Three Northmen.
Begich, a Republican candidate who had filed (or hoped) to unseat Young before his death last month, is the nephew of Mark Begich, a former Democratic senator for Alaska. He owns a software company with offices in Anchorage, Croatia and India and has funded more than half his campaign from his own pocket, according to Alaska Public Media reporting. His foray into politics began five years ago when he served as co-chair for Young’s 2020 re-election campaign.
“If you have concerns about my last name, I don’t blame you,” Begich told an audience of Haines Chamber of Commerce and Alaska Miners Association members at the Chilkat Bakery.
Begich also served on the Alaska Policy Forum, a think tank promoting personal liberty and economic freedom, and was on the Alaska Republican Party’s finance committee.
His main three reasons for running, he said, are promoting resource development, reducing government spending by addressing the federal government’s fiscal and monetary policy and curbing the influence of Big Tech on free speech.
“For me, first off, I don’t think you can represent the state of Alaska if you’re not pro-resource development,” Begich said. “We’re a resource state. I’m pro oil and gas. I’m pro mineral development, whether they be precious metals, base metals, rare earth elements, critical minerals. You name it, I’m for it. If you’re talking about timber, absolutely. If you’re talking about fishing, absolutely. And tourism.”
He blamed the federal government and Congress for plunging the country further into debt and exacerbating inflation.
“Eight trillion of the thirty trillion (dollars of) national debt that we have was created in the last four years,” Begich said. “This is an undisciplined congress that has chosen to spend rather than make more difficult decisions and what they’re doing is destroying this country and we’re starting to feel the effects of it.”
The third issue he focused on was the need to stop social media companies like Facebook from suppressing free speech.
One resident asked Begich what he would do to promote resource development projects related to cobalt and other metals needed for green energy.
“Number one, you have to advocate and you have to call out the hypocrisy on the left quite frankly,” Begich said. “One of the things I like to talk about is that two-thirds of the world’s cobalt comes from the Congo. They’re using child labor over there. They don’t honor any environmental laws over there whatsoever and yet we’re expected to feel good about driving a Tesla knowing full well those resources came from a place like that.”
Two audience members expressed skepticism about the ability for a representative to change what they said amounted to overwhelming debt and government corruption.
“The great American military industrial complex, big pharma, big tech, they run the narrative in this country and they’re the ones who put money in those politicians’ pockets and they’re the ones who now can influence elections with electronics. They’ve done it. They’re going to continue to do it,” one resident told Begich.
“You’re one hundred percent right,” Begich said. “There’s a whole lot of influence that goes on down in D.C. and we do not need more of that we need less of that.”
Begich is one of 48 candidates that will appear on the same ballot for the June 11 open primary. The candidates include six Democrats, 16 Republicans, 22 nonpartisan or undeclared and two Libertarians, according to Anchorage Daily News reporting.
The top four candidates who receive the most votes will advance to an Aug. 16 general election.