Peltola and Begich spar over resource development in Alaska’s first U.S. House candidate forum

“Willow!” That was the first word U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola shouted at the start of the first candidate forum that featured her and her Republican challenger, Nick Begich, as they campaign for Alaska’s lone U.S. House seat.

Peltola, a Democrat, has touted her record as one of a handful of Democrats who champion resource development in Congress, and her role in convincing the administration of President Joe Biden — who has generally pushed for a pivot to renewable resources — to approve the Willow oil project on the North Slope.

Just saying the word “Willow” elicited applause and cheers from a roomful of resource industry insiders Wednesday at the Alaska Oil and Gas Association annual conference, which hosted the candidate forum.

“I am the advocate for the resource industry in Washington, D.C. I’ve spoken out against this administration’s attempts to slow it down,” Peltola said.

While Peltola made an effort to distance herself from national Democrats, Begich said a vote for Peltola was akin to voting for Democrats who oppose fossil fuel industries.

“Today we’re hearing that people want to dismantle the pipeline. They want to take it down. These voices aren’t coming from my side of the aisle. They’re coming from the Democrat side of the aisle. The Democrats have it out for Alaska oil and gas,” said Begich.

[Watch the U.S. House candidate forum at the AOGA conference below:]

Peltola has 50.7% of the vote in the primary election held earlier this month, with results expected to be finalized later this week. Begich is a distant second with 26.6%. Another Republican challenger — Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom — had 20% of the vote but dropped out of the race last week.

Peltola and Begich are expected to be joined on the November ballot by Republican Matthew Salisbury and Alaska Independence Party member John Wayne Howe, who each received just under 0.6% of the vote. Neither appeared at Wednesday’s candidate forum.

Alaska’s U.S. House seat is seen by both Democrats and Republicans as one of the most critical in determining future control of the U.S. House. While former President Donald Trump easily won Alaska in 2020, Peltola narrowly beat two Republican challengers two years later to become the first Democrat in a decade to win a statewide election in Alaska. Peltola has amassed a significant war chest with an eye toward the November election.

National Republicans — including House Speaker Mike Johnson — were quick to back Begich after Dahlstrom, their original choice for the seat, backed out of the race. Trump had endorsed Dahlstrom and so far has not come out in support of Begich after Dahlstrom dropped out.

Peltola has bucked the Democratic Party line during her time in Congress. She stopped short of endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, did not attend the Democratic National Convention earlier this month in Chicago, and has proudly touted her membership in the Congressional Western Caucus, which numbers 106 Republicans and one Democrat — her.

Peltola said in an interview earlier this month that she spoke with Harris.

“She started the conversation by thanking me for running for this House seat and telling me that my voice in the party is very important. I have a unique voice in our party and she appreciates that voice,” Peltola said.

At Wednesday’s forum, Peltola said her voice “is a powerful counterbalance to the Lower 48 extremists who want to turn all of Alaska into a preserve.”

Begich attacked Peltola’s record during her first full term in Congress, saying she had backed an administration that has been “hostile to Alaska.”

“Remember, the most important vote that a member takes is for the speaker of the House. And when Mary Peltola votes for the speaker of the House to be a Democrat, she’s signing us up for the Democrat agenda,” said Begich.

When given the opportunity to ask Begich a question, Peltola pointed out that Begich was running for Congress without ever having held elected office at the municipal or legislative levels. Peltola had served several years in the Alaska Legislature, while Begich spent all of his career — until announcing a congressional run in 2021 — in private business.

“A lot of us in this room are wondering whether this is more about your personal ambition than the best interests in Alaska,” said Peltola. She later added, “I just think it’s odd that you have no record of serving the public either on the municipal level or the state level, and you feel like you can just go straight to the top.”

Begich criticized Peltola for what he described as her inefficacy in stopping the Biden administration from taking actions that slowed resource development in Alaska.

Peltola also faced criticism for missing several votes in Congress since getting elected. Peltola said that was because both her mother and husband died in the two years that have elapsed since she was elected to Congress.

“Some voters thought that perhaps having a Democrat in office would be a good thing,” Begich said. “Unfortunately, it appears as if no one’s listening.”

Peltola said she was “able to sit in the room with both of our senators and convince the president of the United States that we need to listen to the people of the North Slope Borough.”

“Alaska only works when we’re all working together. And I think Willow is a perfect example of that,” said Peltola.