Former President Trump spoke out Monday about the close Republican House primaries in Alaska and Utah, offering his endorsement as primary season gets into full swing.
In Alaska, Trump endorsed Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom over Alaska’s Nick Begich III in a tough primary election that was reminiscent of the 2022 race between Begich and former Gov. Sarah Palin, who both ran in the general election but was won by Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Ill.) in a major upset.
“Nancy Dahlstrom will be a great Congresswoman for the great people of Alaska, just as she was as lieutenant governor,” Trump said. Authentic Social Posts.
He also attacked Begich, claiming he has “Democratic leanings” and criticizing his refusal to withdraw early from the 2022 primary that led to Peltola’s victory in an instant runoff election using the state’s ranked-choice voting system.
Alaska has one at-large representative in the House of Representatives and uses a top-four primary system in which all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, run on the same primary ballot. The top four vote-getters advance to the general election in November, where voters use a ranked-choice voting system to select their preferred candidate.
Begich has said he would withdraw even if he advances to the general election if he receives fewer votes than Dahlstrom in the primary, paving the way for Dahlstrom to become the de facto Republican nominee in November and allow the party to rally around him to unseat Peltola.
Both parties are putting a lot of effort into Alaska elections, which will have a narrow House majority in contention this November.
In Utah, Trump’s endorsement of Rep. Celeste Malloy has put him at odds with Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who has backed Malloy’s opponent, Colby Jenkins. The seat is safe for Republicans, but the primary battle could reveal underlying divisions in the state’s Republican Party.
Malloy won a special election in 2023 to replace his former boss, Republican Rep. Chris Stewart, in Utah’s 2nd Congressional District. Lee’s endorsement of an opponent was an unprecedented move, and one that Malloy himself denounced. “It has created an unnecessary rift in the Utah delegation.”
Utah’s support Just a few hours later Trump spoke on Monday with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), who has publicly supported Malloy’s campaign.
The House of Representatives is generally expected to hold elections in November, according to political analysts. Hill/Decision Desk Headquarters Prediction It predicts a 61% chance that Republicans will retain the House.
The same forecast gives Peltola a 51% chance of retaining his seat and calls the winner of the Utah primary a sure bet.
