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Sept. 22, 2022

She's got no dunk

A lot of politicians are in it for the fight. They want to dunk on the other team. They want to flex. They live for the roar of the crowd.


It’s a hallmark of MAGA-style politics, often traced to Sarah Palin, and now common across the political spectrum.


That’s not how Mary Peltola plays it. The Bethel Democrat is finishing her second week as a congresswoman and showing no sign of becoming a partisan warrior. She’s hired staffers that used to work for Republicans. She’s signed a pro-drilling letter with Alaska’s Republican senators. She sponsored her first bill:  “To establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs an Office of Food Security.” Whether Republican or Democrat, who wouldn’t want veterans to have adequate food?


I’ve watched Peltola on the House floor, during the long spells it takes for 435 members to file in and cast their votes. She’s never alone. There always seems to be one colleague or another waiting to meet her or to network.


She only has opportunities like this until the end of September, when the House goes on recess until after the November election. By the time she leaves Washington after her last vote of the month, Peltola will have had just 10 full days in session. Meeting and networking with other Congress members is probably one of the most useful things she can do in her new position.


Peltola has been riding high since her surprise win in last month’s election. As we reported, her campaign contributions soared – nearly $1.4 million rolled in just in the 19 days after Election Day. Much of it was in contributions of less than $200, which means she motivated a cast of thousands to give her money, from near and far. (Glancing at her campaign finance reports, I made a celebrity sighting: Filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan gave her $2,000 in mid-August. He co-wrote “The Empire Strikes Back.”)


Among the three leading contenders for the House seat, Peltola went from the smallest campaign war chest to the largest. In all, she’s raised nearly $2 million. She had more than $1 million in cash on Labor Day, the end of the last reporting period.


Republican Nick Begich, by contrast, has spent more than he’s raised from others and has started dipping into the $650,000 he loaned to his campaign.


Palin’s report showed she had more than $100,000 in cash, but, when you look at her unpaid invoices, she owed most of it to vendors and consultants.


This doesn’t mean Peltola is a shoo-in for her next election. A lot more people vote in November than in August, so it’s a different electorate. Republican voters might get the message and “rank the red.” Palin could pull off a win. So might Begich, who is defying Palin's calls to drop out and serving them right back to her.


And the wave of enthusiasm for Peltola could crest before November. I’ve noticed a few social media posts from people disappointed in Peltola’s moderation. They want her to land some zingers. They won’t be satisfied until they see her wield a partisan lightsaber to hit MAGA where it hurts.


Most of these disappointed leftist tweets seem to be from non-Alaskans. But they point to a challenge for all politicians more interested in shaping policy than taunting foes: How do you rally a crowd?


Imagine the chant:


“What do we want?”

“CONSENSUS!”

“When do we want it?”

“ONCE EVERYONE HAS HAD THEIR SAY!”


That’s all for now. I’ll be back in Alaska soon to cover the elections. Thanks to all who have sent tips and feedback. Keep it coming.


- Liz Ruskin

lruskin@alaskapublic.org

Follow me on twitter: @lruskin

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