Nick Begich Planned On Running Against 48-Year Incumbent Congressman Don Young Before His Passing, Despite Working As A Chairman On Young’s 2020 Campaign, Leading To Accusations Of Being Disloyal And Dishonest

Begich Served As A Chairman For The 2020 Young Campaign. “This Begich, unlike his grandfather, is a Republican. He’s the nephew of state Sen. Tom Begich and former U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, both Democrats. He was also a chairman of Congressman Young’s campaign in 2020. Begich’s campaign manager for his U.S. House run is Truman Reed, who was Young’s campaign manager in 2020 and worked in his congressional office. Begich said he hasn’t discussed with Young the idea that the congressman would step aside and consider Begich a good successor. He calls it a possibility.” [Alaska Public Media, 10/22/21]

2021: Begich Announced A Bid For Congress, Seeking To Unseat Don Young, The Longest-Serving Republican In The House. “Nicholas Begich III on Thursday kicked off his campaign for Alaska’s lone seat in the U.S. House against the longest-serving Republican in that chamber, saying Alaska needs new energy…”This race is not about Don Young,” Begich told The Associated Press in an interview after the announcement. “This is about the state of Alaska, and the state of Alaska needs new energy. The state of Alaska needs new ideas, and we’ve got to have a representative that can be there, that is prepared to show up for the job and advance those new ideas on behalf of the people of this great state,” he said. [Anchorage Daily News, 10/28/21]

Just Weeks Before His Death, Young Characterized Begich As “A Person I Don’t Want To Serve Me In Congress”

2022: Young Characterized Begich As “A Person I Don’t Want To Serve Me In Congress,” In A Statement Shared By A Former Staffer. “But Zack Brown, a former communications director for Young, posted a Twitter message Thursday of what he said was a previously unreleased comment by Young three weeks before his death to a group of Alaska Republicans. ‘I hired that young man to show him the ropes, run for the job, don’t run against me…it’s not loyalty, nor is it honest…That’s a person I don’t want to serve me in Congress,’ Young said. Some of Young’s former staff, in interview with other media, noted Begich spent about a year working for Young, supposedly to better understand the legislative process, before launching his campaign against the incumbent in October of 2021. [Juneau Empire, 10/27/22]

2022: Don Young Slammed Begich For Running Against Him, Saying He Was Not Loyal Or Honest. “‘I hired that young man [Begich] to show him the ropes, run for the job, don’t run against me […] it’s not loyalty, nor is it honest […] That’s a person I don’t want to serve me in Congress,’ Young said.” [Juneau Empire, 10/27/22]

2022: Young Died At 88 Leaving, His Congressional Seat Open. “Alaska Rep. Don Young, who was the longest-serving Republican in the history of the U.S. House, has died. He was 88. His office announced Young’s death in a statement Friday night. ‘It’s with heavy hearts and deep sadness that we announce Congressman Don Young (R-AK), the Dean of the House and revered champion for Alaska, passed away today while traveling home to Alaska to be with the state and people that he loved. His beloved wife Anne was by his side,’ said the statement from Young’s congressional office.” [AP, 3/19/22]

Young’s Wife Anne Twice Endorsed Republicans Over Begich, Whom She Took “Clear Aim” At In Her Endorsement Messages

2022: Anne Young Endorsed State Senator Josh Revak To Replace Her Husband. “U.S. House candidate Josh Revak has secured an emotionally powerful endorsement from Anne Garland Young, wife of the late Congressman Don Young. Revak, a Republican state senator, is the successor her husband wanted, she said.” [KTOO, 4/13/22]

• Anne Young Took “Clear Aim” At Begich In Her Endorsement Of Revack, Who She Said Would Not “Ever Resort To Desperate, Mean, Hostile Tactics Just To Try To Claim A Win.” “She also takes clear aim at Begich, without using his name. She says that compared to other apparent front-runners, Revak is late to the campaign. ‘He will not, though, like others before him, ever resort to desperate, mean, hostile tactics just to try to claim a win,’ she says. People loyal to Young have it out for Begich. He chaired Young’s 2020 campaign, but then turned on him. Starting last year, he attacked Young from the right. Begich claimed the 88-year-old was too old and lacked fiscal discipline. He also went after Young’s office policy of requiring that staffers be vaccinated against COVID-19.” [KTOO, 4/13/22]

Former Young Staffers Attacked Begich For Being “Disloyal,” With Many Supporting His Democratic Opponent Mary Peltola

2022: Former Young Aides Described Begich As “Disloyal And Deceitful To Their Former Boss.” “Staffers who worked for Don Young are openly airing grievances against Nick Begich III, their former colleague who’s now running for the late Alaska Republican congressman’s seat…Former Young aides accuse Begich, 45, a Republican businessman and a former ally who co-chaired Young’s 2020 reelection campaign, of being disloyal and deceitful to their former boss, who died earlier this year at age 88.” [E&E News, 10/28/22]

Eleven Of Don Young’s Former Staffers Penned An Op-Ed Endorsing Mary Peltola. “We, the undersigned former staff and friends of Congressman Don Young, write to offer our full endorsement of Mary Peltola in her reelection campaign. We know she is the right choice to advance the interests of all Alaskans in the U.S. House of Representatives. Her commitment to running a positive race, bipartisan approach to public service, and legislative priorities that put Alaska at the forefront underpin the basis of our endorsement… Jack Ferguson, Zack Brown, Pamela Day, Mike”Keawe” Anderson, Nicole Desrochers, Linda Harrigan, Holly Croft, Meredith Kenny, Christine Williams, Gail Schubert and Martha Newell-Kinsman are former staff members and friends of Don Young.” [The Anchorage Daily News, 10/24/22]

Former Young Staffer Zack Brown Alleged “Begich Was Planning On Primarying Young All Along” When He Took An Internship In His Congressional Office. “Begich ’asked Don Young to join our office & shadow the Dean to learn how Congress works,” Brown wrote. “Begich was planning on primarying Young all along. He used DY & staff to secure inside info.’ Some former Young aides don’t think Begich was clear about his intentions to primary Young while he was still in office. A second former Young staffer said that while Begich had made it known that he was interested in running for Congress someday, people in Young’s orbit weren’t expecting him to challenge the longest-serving Republican in Congress. ‘He was not entirely secretive about his future ambitions. But it was never ’I’m going to run against Don Young in the next election,’ it was ‘one day I would like to serve in this role,’ said that former Young staffer, who was also granted anonymity to protect personal and professional relationships. ‘The problem with Nick Begich is that he’s kind of proven to be a say-anything-to-get-elected kind of guy.’” [E&E News, 10/28/22]