Rep. Young faces Republican challenger in reelection bid

Published 10:30 pm Sunday, October 24, 2021

Nicholas Begich III, grandson of former U.S. Rep. Nick Begich, D-Alaska, has filed to run as a Republican for Alaska’s only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, challenging longtime incumbent Republican Rep. Don Young.

According to the Federal Elections Commission, a group called Alaskans for Nick Begich filed to run in the 2022 general election as a Republican.

[Plane crashes at Juneau International Airport]

Young, 88, is the longest-serving member of the U.S. House of Representatives and has already filed for reelection.

Begich’s grandfather and namesake was a Democrat and died in a plane crash in 1972. Begich’s uncles are both Alaska Democrats; Mark Begich served as Anchorage mayor from 2003-2009 and then as U.S. Senator from 2009-2015, and state Sen. Tom Begich, D-Anchorage, is minority leader in the Alaska State Senate.

• Contact reporter Peter Segall at psegall@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @SegallJnuEmpire.