Election Countdown: Alaska’s At-Large Congressional Race

October 19, 2020

Race: Alaska’s At-Large Congressional Seat

Key Cities: Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau

Matchup: Republican/Incumbent/”Dean of the House” Don Young vs. “Independ-ocrat” Alyse Galvin 

The Race:

If you were born on or after March 14, 1973 in Alaska, Congressman Don Young has been the only representative in the US House you’ve had.  The “Congressman for all Alaska” is 87 years young, with an ‘Energizer Bunny’-level of vigor that belies his age.  His tenure in the House currently makes him the “Dean of the House”, a title he plans on continuing as long as he can serve.

Congressman Young is an outspoken and consistent advocate for developing Alaska’s natural resources, and has been the nemesis of radical environmentalists for decades. His votes against Democratic proposals to ban offshore drilling and to block drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s 10-02 area – a crown jewel of opportunity to grow America’s energy independence – have enraged the eco-Left, which is one reason they are backing his opponent, Alyse Galvin.

Galvin is the wife of a former Alaska Commissioner of Revenue, who spearheaded the ill-conceived ‘ACES’ oil tax plan during his time in office.  That plan led to hundreds of lost energy jobs, billions in lost oilfield investment and hundreds of millions of barrels of oil that never left the ground; leading to decreased revenues for the state.  Those revenues could sure be used now, as Alaska faces a $2.3 billion budget gap for FY21.

But it isn’t Galvin’s tie to her husband that’s the most concerning part of her campaign.  Instead, it is the faux-“independent” label she’s running on, when a large part of her campaign cash has been raised by her association with Nancy Pelosi, who endorsed her in her #RedtoBlue campaign, and whose influence has been seen throughout Galvin’s second try to retire Young (she lost to him by 6.5% in 2018).  Many Alaskans have wondered if the Pelosi endorsement helps or hurts Galvin’s campaign, but the cash she’s been able to raise – much of it from prominent left-side donors and PACs – has allowed Galvin to flood the airwaves, mainstream media and social sites with dozens of attack ads against the Congressman.

Polls:

The race to unseat Congressman Young is normally a fool’s errand for whatever Democrat runs him- or herself out there.  However, the national political scene, coupled with the immense amount of money from the Left coming into Alaska to back the “Independent” Galvin, has made this a dogfight.  The Cook Report has Alaska as R+9, but recent polls show Galvin a few points ahead of Young, but within the margin of error.