Lt. Gov Nancy Dahlstrom made a campaign stop in Kenai today. She’s trying to win Alaska’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. She sat down with KDLL to talk about her congressional campaign. Dahlstrom is running against Democratic incumbent Mary Peltola and Nick Begich III, a fellow Republican.
“I would like to have a Republican in the seat and I think that would serve Alaskans better,” she said. “And so I — that's why I decided to jump in.”
Before Gov. Mike Dunleavy chose her as a running mate in 2022, Dahlstrom headed the state department of corrections, and she previously served as a Republican member of the State House, representing an Anchorage district.
Dahlstrom says she’d show up for more floor votes than Peltola, and has more experience winning elections than Begich. Dahlstrom chooses as her top priority one that’s a favorite of Republican voters nationally: securing the U.S.-Mexico border.
“When I get to D.C., my very first priority is working on getting the border wall closed,” she said. “Because as long as that is open, we have no national security, none at all. And we need to get that closed, and we need to do it, like, last week. And then after that’s closed and shut, then we need to decide, what are we going to do with the 16 million-plus people who are in our country illegally? What are we going to do with them? And I think they need to go back to where they came from, and they need to come into the country legally.”
Alaska is more than 3,000 miles away from the border. But Dahlstrom says Alaksans are targeted by illegal drugs from Mexico. She points to the state’s spike in fentanyl overdose deaths as evidence.
Dahlstrom also vows to challenge President Joe Biden’s policies on resource development in Alaska. She, like members of Alaska’s current congressional delegation, says the administration is clamping down on needed resource development on Alaska’s federal lands.
As lieutenant governor, she’s charged with overseeing state elections, but while she seeks federal office, Dahlstrom says she’s delegated oversight to Carol Beecher, director of the Alaska Division of Elections. She says one reason to separate herself from that role is to avoid the appearance of impropriety. State law allows the lieutenant governor to designate someone else to fulfill those job responsibilities.
Regarding federal elections, Dahlstrom said she gets regular updates from national security agencies.
“They will continue to be working with us throughout the night on Election Night so that we do have a safe and secure,” she said. And I will tell you that I'm confident things are going to go well.”
When asked what federal resources could be directed to help Alaska fisheries, including declining Chinook runs, Dahlstrom didn’t have a specific answer but suggested climate change isn’t a major factor.
“I have a lot to learn about fishing. I know that we need to rely on science, and what science is telling us about why fish aren't as active and, and as populated in certain areas as they are,” she said. “We do have things you know, people talk about global warming, well our climate is changing. But I don't think it's changing to the extent that people that I believe are fanatical about it claim that it is.”
Scientists attribute declining salmon runs around Alaska to a host of factors. Scientists cite a host of factors as contributing to salmon declines, among them several that are linked to climate change. That includes river temperatures too hot for spawning salmon, ocean acidification and declining nutrient levels in ocean waters.
Dahlstrom’s already got the support of former President Donald Trump, who endorsed her in June. Alaska’s U.S. House seat will be on the primary ballot in August. Candidates of all parties will appear on the same ballot and voters will pick one. The top four vote-getters will advance to the ranked choice general election in November.
