ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, a Republican backed by former President Donald Trump, withdrew from the race for Alaska’s lone seat in the U.
S. House on Friday after finishing third in this week’s primary. Her decision left second-place finisher Republican Nick Begich as the main challenger to Democratic Rep.
Mary Peltola, who is the first Alaska Native to serve in Congress . “I entered this race because Alaskans deserve better representation than what we have received from Mary Peltola in Washington,” Dahlstrom said in a statement released by her campaign. “At this time, the best thing I can do to see that goal realized is to withdraw my name from the general election ballot and end my campaign.
” Peltola, Begich and Dahlstrom were the most prominent among a dozen candidates running for the seat in Alaska’s primary. Under Alaska’s open primary system, voters were asked to pick one candidate, with the top four vote-getters in the race, regardless of party affiliation, advancing to the ranked choice general election. In early results, Peltola led in the vote count, followed by Begich and then Dahlstrom.
It was too early to call who would finish fourth. The general election is expected to be hotly contested. The GOP is hoping to reclaim the seat that Republican U.
S. Rep. Don Young held for 49 years before his death in 2022.
Peltola won the seat with victories in special and regular elections that year. Peltola’s campaign did not imme.