“Alaska will be best served by the re-election of Sen. Mark Begich.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10/26/2014

ANCHORAGE — U.S. Senator Mark Begich earned the endorsement of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, the largest newspaper in Alaska to offer an endorsement this year. The News-Miner is based in Interior Alaska with a bureau in Anchorage and publishes news from around the state.

The paper recognized Mark Begich’s growing seniority, powerful clout, willingness to buck his party to work with the Alaska Delegation and his work to preserve and expand the military presence in Interior Alaska.

According to Alaska journalists this is the News-Miner’s first endorsement of a Democrat for U.S. Senate since Senator E.L. Bob Bartlett (U.S. Senator for Alaska 1959 - 1968).

Here are some of the reasons the News-Miner Supports Mark Begich for re-election:

“Sen. Begich has stepped up for the Interior on issues relating to the military and to veterans’ affairs. His hold on the confirmation of Air Force Gen. Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle forced the Pentagon to engage with our community in the debate over the proposed move of Eielson Air Force Base’s F-16 Aggressor Squadron — a debate we eventually won.”

“From crossing the aisle on issues important to the state, to taking a strong role in ensuring the further deployment of military resources here in the Interior, to accruing seniority and clout that helps him defend our interests on Capitol Hill, his term has been marked by successes even as Washington, D.C., as a whole suffers from great dysfunction.”

“In many sectors of the Alaska economy, Sen. Begich’s presence has been helpful. He helped secure funds for the UAF research vessel Sikuliaq, and he defended transportation funds crucial to the Alaska Railroad. He is taking a leadership role in updating and reauthorizing the landmark Magnuson-Stevens Act to protect and sustain our fish for all Alaskans who depend on that resource.”

“But on many of the issues that affect Alaska most — gun rights, offshore oil development and missile defense, to name a few — Sen. Begich has bucked party lines to do what’s right for our state. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski readily acknowledges his cooperation with herself and Rep. Don Young on Alaska issues.”

Read the News-Miner endorsement of Mark Begich here or below.

Alaska needs Begich for Senate: Junior senator’s seniority, key positions make him vital to state

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner editorial

Rarely does Alaska see such an influx of national money, media and attention as has occurred in this year’s U.S. Senate race. Because of the barrage of attack ads in both directions, it’s understandable that there is much confusion over where the candidates stand and which would be most effective. Ignoring the ads and focusing on results, however, makes the picture clearer.

Alaska will be best served by the re-election of Sen. Mark Begich.

Our state’s fortunes depend heavily on federal spending — so much so that it is described as one leg of the “three-legged stool” of Alaska’s economy, the other two legs being oil and all other resources. In recent years, declining oil production has weakened one of those legs and continues to do so, putting our state in a budget crunch. When it comes to ensuring that the federal leg of the stool remains steady, a strong position in the Senate is essential.

The Senate is key to Alaska’s interests. In the population-determined makeup of the House of Representatives, we have minimal representation — a single representative out of 435. But in the Senate, we enjoy the same standing and representation as every other state. This makes it the body on which we must rely for the defense of Alaska’s interests. Seniority, committee positions and ability to secure key appropriations are vital considerations when choosing a senator.

Sen. Ted Stevens was famous for his ability to ensure that Alaska got the resources needed to help our economy and infrastructure grow. In his absence, and with budget-mindedness greater than ever at both the federal and state levels, we need senators who can defend Alaska’s needs. In Sen. Begich and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, we have that. We are one of only three states with two seats on the powerful Appropriations Committee, and of those three, our senators have done the best job by a considerable margin at looking after their state.

The evidence shows Sen. Begich’s role in that process has been significant. Since he joined the Appropriations Committee in January 2013, Alaska’s share of the federal pie ticked upward both in raw dollars and in percentage of overall funds for the first time since the onset of the Great Recession in late 2008 — despite painful mandatory sequestration cuts that left many states with sharply reduced federal spending. While Alaska’s federal funds increased by 10 percent, two-thirds of the states with Appropriations Committee seats saw cuts.

Sen. Begich’s opponent, Dan Sullivan, has sought to tie him to the agendas of the Senate’s Democratic majority and President Obama. But on many of the issues that affect Alaska most — gun rights, offshore oil development and missile defense, to name a few — Sen. Begich has bucked party lines to do what’s right for our state. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski readily acknowledges his cooperation with herself and Rep. Don Young on Alaska issues.

In particular, Sen. Begich has stepped up for the Interior on issues relating to the military and to veterans’ affairs. His hold on the confirmation of Air Force Gen. Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle forced the Pentagon to engage with our community in the debate over the proposed move of Eielson Air Force Base’s F-16 Aggressor Squadron — a debate we eventually won. Together with Sen. Murkowski and Rep. Young, Sen. Begich was a forceful advocate for the placement of two F-35 Joint Strike Fighter squadrons at Eielson, which will bring thousands of jobs to the Interior. And he also was instrumental in fighting for Alaska as a development range for Federal Aviation Administration drone aircraft rules and in stewarding the development of the University of Alaska’s unmanned aircraft program, which has the state well positioned for a leadership role in the next generation of aircraft.

In many sectors of the Alaska economy, Sen. Begich’s presence has been helpful. He helped secure funds for the UAF research vessel Sikuliaq, and he defended transportation funds crucial to the Alaska Railroad. He is taking a leadership role in updating and reauthorizing the landmark Magnuson-Stevens Act to protect and sustain our fish for all Alaskans who depend on that resource.

Having a bipartisan delegation is a powerful hedge for Alaska, ensuring the state retains clout it can ill afford to lose. With Sen. Begich re-elected, Alaska will keep both appropriations seats, which isn’t possible with two senators of the same party — Republican conference rules forbid it. Additionally, with one Democratic and one Republican senator, the state is guaranteed at least one of its senators in the majority, and thanks to considerable turnover in the past decade, both Alaska senators enjoy better-than-expected seniority (Sen. Murkowski ranks 32nd overall, while Sen. Begich ranks 63rd. Upon re-election, Sen. Begich will move into the mid-50s because of retirements and seat changes). If Mr. Sullivan were elected, he would be at the bottom of the Senate’s seniority ranking — senator No. 100. Relying on one senator — even one who has proven effective, as Sen. Murkowski has — to provide for the vast majority of our state’s needs is a risk Alaska can ill afford to take.

Sen. Begich has proved his worth in his six years serving in Washington, D.C.

From crossing the aisle on issues important to the state, to taking a strong role in ensuring the further deployment of military resources here in the Interior, to accruing seniority and clout that helps him defend our interests on Capitol Hill, his term has been marked by successes even as Washington, D.C., as a whole suffers from great dysfunction.

Sen. Begich is the candidate who will be most effective for Alaska, and he deserves to be re-elected on Nov. 4.