Mary Peltola flipped a historically GOP seat for U.S. House on Wed. She will also be the first Alaska Native to serve in Congress. She won with the smallest fundraising budget of the 3 final candidates in the race. Her victory against Trump-backed GOP Sarah Palin sets the stage for a contentious next few months as she, Palin and GOP Nick Begich compete for the full two-year term that begins in Jan. Political consultant Jim Lottsfeldt said Thurs. there are a number of reasons Peltola won, but a big one was excitement supporters felt for a progressive candidate focused on local issues, like sustainable fisheries management and protecting abortion rights. “The enthusiasm that people had, among moderates to liberals for Mary Peltola was palpable,” he said. “[Not just] her ethnicity, but that she’s nice, she’s got this great track record, she’s got these great retail political skills.”
At alaskapublic.org
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