An interesting election looms

Alaskans need to get over their pique at Sarah Palin for resigning from the governorship when she had an opportunity to run for vice president of the United States.

Palin was our governor in 2008 when she quit that job to accept a bid from Senator John McCain, an Arizona Republican, to run with him for the nation’s top two offices. McCain was running for president.

Her resignation was a slight to Alaska, no doubt, but it was a necessary one if she wanted to pursue a high-profile political career. And Palin did launch herself on a national career with the move, though she and McCain ultimately lost to Barack Obama, who became president, and Joe Biden, who won the vice presidency — and has since become president. Biden won the top job in 2020 with Kamala Harris as his vice president.

Sarah Palin is now running for Alaska’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, which became vacant when Don Young died of a heart attack last month after serving 49 years in that position.

Palin, because of her previous time on the national stage and her effervescent personality, would almost certainly be a high -profile member of the Congress. And that could be very beneficial to Alaska during any term or terms she served in the House.

It could help the state by calling national attention to whatever issues she championed, which would presumably be for the most part on matters important to Alaska.

We have only one seat in the House and making things happen on the national scene from that seat is a tremendous challenge. But Palin would be well-positioned to gain attention to herself and to Alaska if she were our congresswoman.

Granted, Palin’s reputation is as something of a dingbat, which resulted from her flamboyant attempts to get national attention to herself and the issues she has championed. She and we might wish that were not the case but there is a positive side to the distinction and that could work in Alaska’s favor.

Sarah Palin’s ability to attract the spotlight could be used to advance our state’s interests by forcing the nation’s public, people of all political persuasions, to take a look at what we are most interested in.

The dingbat thing has its obvious disadvantages but getting the nation’s attention to Alaska’s issues and its positions could be a most important positive. With the right political skills and the combined efforts of U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, as well as Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, the nation’s attention could work in our favor and offset the accompanying negatives.

There are currently 48 candidates for the U.S. House seat though very few of them are really contenders. The best known is Nick Begich Jr., who is running as a Republican. Of Democrats in the House race the best known is probably Anchorage Assemblyman Chris Constant.

Both Palin and Begich would be able to do important things for Alaska while holding the House seat. Of the two Begich might be the best choice since he is from a well-regarded political family and has a reputation as a well-balanced achiever.

His father, Nick Begich Sr., held the U.S. House seat in 1971-1972 and disappeared on Dec. 29, 1972 with Congressman Hale Boggs while on a small-plane flight from Anchorage to Juneau.

Both candidates have something of value to offer Alaska constituents. And since both are Republicans there is no party difference to influence the vote.

So take your choice.

Tom Brennan is an Anchorage columnist and author of six books. He was a reporter/columnist for The Anchorage Times and an editor and columnist at The Voice of The Times.