JUNIAU, Alaska — Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola of Alaska and her main rival for the sole seat in the House of Representatives, Republican Nick Begich, debated late Thursday on topics such as support for Ukraine, abortion and guns.
During the lively debate in Anchorage, both candidates made their pitches to voters just weeks before the Nov. 5 election. Peltola is trying to thwart the Republican Party’s efforts to win back the seat Republican Rep. Don Young stood his ground for 49 years before his death in 2022.
Peltola, who is Yup’ik, won special and regular elections for the seat that year, becoming the first Alaska Native in Congress. Begich, who was endorsed in this race by former President Donald Trump, was one of the opponents Peltola defeated in 2022.
Peltola has tried to distance herself from presidential politics, refuse to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, while also saying she is not voting for Trump. During the debate, she said she doesn’t see the world through a partisan lens and focuses on her own race. She declined to say whether she would vote for Harris.
“It’s a secret ballot,” Peltola said, adding that she believes both Harris and Trump are flawed. “I think a lot of the concern we have is going to be about who do they choose as their senior advisors?”
On a foreign policy issue, Peltola said it is important for the US to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
“I think in many ways they are fighting our war, and I support the efforts they are making,” she said.
Begich said Americans’ needs must be prioritized.
“I want to make sure that we put the needs of Americans first, that we don’t put other people’s wars on our national credit card and expect future generations to pay for it,” he said.
Candidates were asked whether they would support a federal ban on abortion or a federal right to abortion. Begich said he wouldn’t support either. He said the matter should be left to the states.
Peltola, who has made reproductive rights a key issue in her campaign, said politicians don’t need to be part of the discussion.
Abortion “should be safe, legal and rare,” she said. “We must do everything we can to prevent unwanted pregnancies. And in the meantime, we must protect the lives of women in complex medical situations.”
In Alaska, the state Supreme Court has interpreted the state constitution’s right to privacy to include abortion rights.
On the issue of guns – protecting schools and gun rights – both spoke about the importance of gun safety and responsible ownership. Guns are common in Alaska, where hunting is part of the way of life.
Peltola said school shootings often involve someone “who is isolated, who doesn’t feel seen or heard.”
“We need to make sure that every child, every child in our community, every child in our school feels seen and heard,” she said. “We need to make sure we don’t have people in isolation, and we need to do as much as we can as gun owners to prevent guns and ammunition from ending up in the wrong hands.”
Begich said competitive youth shooting leagues help train young people in gun safety and responsible ownership and is something that should continue to be invested in.
One of the debate questions came from the president and CEO of the Alaska Black Caucus, who wanted the candidates to identify initiatives they would propose to address economic inequality and create opportunities for underrepresented communities.
Peltola said she wants to work for all Alaskans and the best way to do that is by looking at collective challenges, such as high heating and energy costs.
“I think it’s important that we really make a conscious effort to make sure that everyone benefits from the programs that we’re working on,” she said.
Begich said it is important that everyone “has a seat at the table.”
“No matter where you started in life, no matter who you are, what community you are a part of, what ethnic group you are a part of, what religion you are, it matters because that is the promise of America ” he said. .
He said there is inequality in the state’s primary education system and more needs to be done to ensure students have access to quality education, including at university level.
Peltola and Begich are the most prominent candidates in the race, which also includes Alaskan Independence Party candidate John Wayne Howe and Erik Hafnera Democrat with no apparent ties to the state who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for threatening authorities and others in New Jersey.
The debate audience was told that only candidates who received at least 5% of the vote in the primaries would be invited to Thursday’s debate. Neither Howe nor Hafner met that threshold.