Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom announced Friday that she was dropping out of the U.S. House of Representatives race to consolidate support behind fellow Republican Nick Begich, the Washington Examiner reported. Dahlstrom had received the backing of former President Donald Trump.
Incumbent Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) had flipped its single House of Representatives seat in 2022. The ranked-choice voting system caused in-fighting between GOP candidates that helped Peltola get elected, and Dahlstrom was determined not to let that happen again.
"I entered this race because Alaskans deserve better representation than what we have received from Mary Peltola in Washington. At this time, the best thing I can do to see that goal realized is to withdraw my name from the general election ballot and end my campaign," Dahlstrom said in a statement.
Thank you to the people of our incredible state for believing in me and standing with me. I’m so grateful to be an Alaskan and will continue to fight for our great state. pic.twitter.com/co9XrtoaIn
— Nancy Dahlstrom (@nancyforalaska) August 23, 2024
According to Fox News, Alaska changed its elections from a straight majority to a ranked-choice system in 2020. Voters are asked to rank each candidate from first to fourth rather than casting a vote for a single person.
The top four then battle it out in the general election. This creates a situation where multiple candidates from a single party compete instead of one Democrat versus one Republican, like in most other states.
It also means that the person who received the most votes isn't necessarily the winner. If a single candidate does not receive more than 50% of the vote in the first round of tallying, the ranked-choice system comes into play.
The tallying eliminates the candidate with the fewest votes and awards the vote to the second-choice candidate for people who ranked that now-eliminated candidate first on the ballot. The tallies continue until only one candidate remains and is deemed the winner.
This is how Peltola flipped a seat occupied by a Republican for more than 50 years. Peltola beat out both Republican candidates, including former Gov. Sarah Palin and Begich, despite their receiving more votes.
Democrats will likely attempt to spin Dahlstrom's exit as a strike against Trump because she was the candidate he endorsed. However, her exit was a clever move that cut the opponents' strategy off at the knees.
Earlier this month, Politico revealed the strategy one Democrat-backed political action committee employed that exploited the ranked-choice voting system for the primary. Vote Alaska Before Party poured over $1 million into promoting three Republican candidates in Alaska.
They also used radio, television, and digital advertising to drive the conversation of the election to abortion and where the candidates stand. Peltola is a pro-abortion Democrat, while all of the Republicans support restrictions.
Jim Lottsfeldt, the organization's treasurer, said that Vote Alaska Before Party wanted "all Alaskans to know that all of the Peltola challengers" were pro-life. "Our state has lots of pro-choice Republicans — and Peltola’s commitment to freedom and choice stands her apart from the so-called MAGA crowd," Lottsfeldt claimed.
Dahlstrom's choice will ultimately give her party a fighting chance at winning back Alaska's lone seat in the House this November. She made the move that was best for Alaska, which demonstrates her character and commitment to the state.
