Nick Begich III

Nicholas "Nick" J. Begich III (born October 21, 1977) is an Alaskan businessman and politician, as well as grandson of former U.S. Representative Nicholas Joseph Begich. He is a Republican candidate for Alaska's seat in the US House of Representatives in the 2024 election.
In the , Begich was the majority-preferred candidate, with most voters ranking him above either one of his opponents, Democrat Mary Peltola and right-wing Republican Sarah Palin. However, caused Begich to come in third, an example of an called a center squeeze.
Early life
Born in Anchorage, Alaska, Begich was raised in Florida by his maternal grandparents.
He attended Master's Academy in Oviedo, Florida for high school, where he was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame for cross-country. He returned to Alaska in 2004 with his wife, Dharna Begich.
Education
Begich received an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in 1995. IHe graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (BBA). Begich later graduated from Indiana University Bloomington with a Master of Business Administration (MBA). He also holds a share in Earthpulse Press, a publisher based in Anchorage Begich's 2022 campaign manager released a statement that he is not involved in the operations of the Press, and his only income from it is equity interest. In 2017, he also began serving as the President for the Matanuska Telephone Association Foundation.
In 2017, Begich was recognized in the National Federation of Croatian Americans' "40 Under 40" list.
Political career
He is a member of the Begich family, a well-known family of Alaska politicians including Mark Begich among others. He is the grandson of Nick Begich I.
He ran for the Eagle River / Chugiak seat in the Anchorage Assembly in 2016 against then-incumbent Amy Demboski. Demboski won the election with 58% of the vote.
Begich was the Finance Committee co-chair for the Alaska Republican Party from 2016-2018. In 2018, he held the Republican National Committee (RNC) Alaska Party Chair Proxy Vote and served as president for the Alaska Policy Forum's Board of Directors.
In 2020, Begich was a co-chair for the OneAlaska campaign, which opposed a ballot initiative that would have increase Alaska's oil tax. Begich served as a Co-Chair for Congressman Don Young’s 2020 campaign, alongside former Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Rhonda Boyles. He also joined the Club for Growth Inaugural Fellows Program.
Alaska's at-large congressional district
In October 2021, Begich filed to run for , challenging incumbent Don Young. After Young died suddenly in March 2022, a was called to elect a successor who would complete the remainder of his term, where Begich faced off against Democrat Mary Peltola and fellow Republican Sarah Palin. A post-election analysis of the ballots for the race showed Begich to be the majority-preferred candidate, Begich faulted Young for missing committee meetings and Congressional votes, pointing to Young's age.
During his campaign, Begich argued technology platforms have too much control over the flow of information, and advocated curtailing the power of firms who own those platforms. He supported Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturning of Roe v. Wade, stating that the issue of abortion should be handled at the state level, saying that he would not support a federal abortion ban. He advocated Congress passing laws which would be consistent with SCOTUS' decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo overruling the 1984 Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. arguing that such legislation would make it more likely for projects to be federally approved. (when in reality Sarah Palin had spoiled the race for Begich, not the other way around). In September 2024, Trump endorsed Begich after Trump's previous pick, Lt. Governor Nancy Dahlstrom, dropping out of the race. A February-March 2024 poll of voters likely to cast a ballot in the 2024 elections found only 35% of respondents recognized Dahlstrom's name. That poll also found Peltola and Begich to be in a dead heat. Prior to the August primary, Begich had stated that federal Republican politics have become obstructionist. He also stated that government should operate in the background of daily affairs, and claimed that increasing reliance on "electrification" in the U.S. relies on resources from "Communist China". Peltola had addressed this complaint in an August 2024 debate with Begich, stating that she had missed votes due to deaths in her family.<ref name=AOGA24/>

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