That makes four GOP clubs: Republican Women of Kenai supports Nick Begich

A fourth Republican women’s club in Alaska has endorsed Nick Begich for Congress. This brings the total number of Republican women’s clubs in Alaska to four not endorsing Nancy Dahlstrom.

The latest club is the Republican Women of the Kenai, which, along with the other Republican club on the Kenai Peninsula, decided to say “yes” to Begich, despite Donald Trump’s caved in last week to the National Republican Congressional Committee, which had recruited Dahlstrom to run against Begich.

The Republican clubs that support Begich are all voting members of the party’s state central committee:

• – Republican Women of the Kenai Peninsula
• – Republican Women of Kenai
• – Republican Women of the Valley in Alaska
• – Republican Women of Fairbanks

The August primary is now an open primary due to Proposition 2, breaking a longstanding tradition that allowed parties to nominate their candidates for the general election. Now, the four candidates with the most votes in August are placed on the November ballot, unless one of them drops out, in which case the next candidate with the most votes advances to the November election. The November election is ranked-choice voting, with voters choosing first, second, and third choices. It’s a tricky system that makes results somewhat unpredictable over such a long period of time. In 2022, Begich came in third, behind Sarah Palin and the eventual winner, Democrat Mary Peltola.

Begich, who ran for re-election a year ago, is the underdog in a race that pits incumbent Peltola, who has millions of Democratic dollars at her disposal, and Republican Nancy Dahlstrom, who ran in November and is the nominee of Governor Mike Dunleavy and the former president.

But Alaska Republicans are forging their own path, and their legendary grassroots activism has made them the backbone, hands and heart of the Republican Party in Alaska. Begich may be spending less money in this race, but he appears to have growing support from the conservative base.