Republican U.S. House candidate Nick Begich and incumbent Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola debated on live television during the Debate for the State at Alaska Public Media on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024.
In two key moments from the evening debate, Peltola declined to say whether she would vote for Vice President Kamala Harris for president. Begich raised doubts about President Joe Biden’s victory in 2020. ”Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and their allies in Congress, like my opponent, have it out for our state. That’s the truth. That’s the facts. And the reality is, if we want to open Alaska, we’ve got to do a better job at advocating for our state,” he said in his closing statements.in which Biden said he backed the Willow project because he was concerned about losing a court challenge. Begich said Peltola’s claims of getting Biden to approve the project “were provably false.
“We also need to make sure that people have bargaining rights as this merger goes forward,” she said. Begich said he would vote against the ballot measure, and that he was against raising Alaska’s minimum wage, which has also been Peltola and Begich were divided on their approach to reproductive rights nationally. They were asked by the moderators whether they would support a federal ban or a federal guarantee for abortion.
“I am not an obstructionist,” Begich said in response. “I think that we need to get work done, and we need to be serious about the work that is happening in D.C.”“Well, I know it starts with Blockchain, and I am not an expert on crypto, but I do believe in innovation,” she said, before repeating a line she used earlier about how cryptocurrencies could potentially be a good alternative in Alaska villages.