By PAM MELIN
Aug. 25, 2026 – Let’s take a quick walk down memory lane, because there’s a story from 2024 that many Alaskans don’t even know happened.
And right now, they need to know.
The Valley Republican Women of Alaska endorsed Nick Begich III over Nancy Dahlstrom because we believed he was the candidate who could beat Mary Peltola. We saw his work ethic, his policy depth and his determination. We called Republican women’s clubs across Alaska and asked them to join us.
Some did. Some were apprehensive until after the primary. One told us Nick couldn’t win. But we kept going.
Then Republican district leaders joined with the clubs and the magic happened. An official consolidated resolution circulated across Alaska supporting Nick Begich with over 17 District Chairs, seven Region Reps and seven club chairs signing on. This happened even though Nancy Dahlstrom already had President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
That resolution made the difference. I had the honor of helping get it in front of President Trump.
That effort helped build momentum around something Republicans desperately needed: One candidate. One direction. A path to win.
We didn’t wait for leadership. We were the leadership. Then voters gave us clarity.
Nick finished the primary at 26.6% to Nancy’s 19.9%. Nancy had qualified for the general election, but she made the decision to withdraw anyway, saying the best thing she could do to defeat Peltola was end her campaign. That selfless act on her part deserves massive respect.
President Trump ultimately endorsed Nick, and Nick won. He led Peltola on first-choice votes, 48.41% to 46.37%, and finished the ranked-choice tabulation at 51.22% to 48.78%.
So here’s my question: Why does everyone want to drag Republicans back to the failure of 2022, when Peltola won, while barely mentioning what we got right in 2024?
We’re hearing it again: “Rank the red. Rank two. Just rank.”
But 2024 taught us something much bigger: Consolidate.
Today we have a massive field in the governor’s race, and somehow voters are being handed responsibility for fixing it.
No. Voters didn’t create this field. Candidates did. And blaming voters who don’t want to rank multiple Republicans isn’t a strategy.
Democrats understand the stakes too. The two leading Democratic gubernatorial candidates currently account for roughly 42% of the primary vote, while Republican support is scattered across a much larger field. (Alaska Story) That should get everyone’s attention.
People have preferred candidates. We get that. Organizations have endorsements. Campaigns have interests. And yes, egos are involved. But eventually, we have to decide whether we’re trying to preserve everybody’s political interests or win the governor’s race.
We faced this choice before. In 2024, grassroots Republicans organized, challenged conventional wisdom and created momentum behind one candidate. Nancy Dahlstrom demonstrated the humility to step aside. President Trump ultimately got behind Nick. And Nick Begich won.
So don’t tell voters this race is theirs to lose because they won’t rank enough candidates. This race is ours to win. We already have the blueprint.
We just have to have the courage to use it.
Pam Melin is a Mat-Su Valley resident who is politically active as president of Valley Republican Women of Alaska.
11 thoughts on “Pam Melin: Remember 2024? Alaska already proved consolidation works”
there you have it republican voters. no need to worry about who you will vote for. Pam Melin will pick your candidate. sorry Dave save your money.
The numbers speak. Adults consolidate. Egos throw tantrums in the comment section. Watching grown men unravel because someone brought receipts is certainly something.
i was simply summing up your article. the second two thirds of the article really made little sense. In short “Then Republican district leaders joined with the clubs and the magic happened. An official consolidated resolution circulated across Alaska supporting Nick Begich with over 17 District Chairs, seven Region Reps and seven club chairs signing on”. “We didn’t wait for leadership. We were the leadership.” this was your message. I am not throwing a tantrum nor unraveling. Simply offering the cliff notes. The numbers that will speak will be the fiscal, labor oriented republicans and independents like Jim Jansen, John Ellsworth and Paul Fuhs. Will they throw their support behind someone that can not balance a check book? Although republicans hate unions many of those workers are conservative and vote republican. Will they be willing to go with someone who had a career in trying to break unions? As an independent voter I think the more choices on the ballot the better. there maybe a candidate I actually want to vote for rather being forced a candidate by the two party system.
If you vote for your choice candidate, you still are voting for a party, you are voting for a complete Democrat controlled state. The AKGOP is retreating, losing territory, While the AKDemocrats are increasing their territories or district neighborhoods. While you are voting for your own choice and voting your way, it’s leading Alaska to a One Party System.
Leo, you’re probably a good example of an “independent voter”. If you don’t care who wins, then just go ahead and say you don’t care who wins. The point Pam is making, and that you very well know is true, is that splitting the conservative vote will, without question, get us a hard left governor. That apparently is fine with you as long as you’ve got your peace of mind that you’ve voted for a candidate that you “actually want to vote for”. After that, I’ll expect that you’ll have no complaints about JKT or Tom next year.
And Pam Americus wasn’t throwing a tantrum.
He just doesn’t understand yet, and he is being stubborn to learn that not voting Right means not playing as a team means giving AKDemocrats more ground to take because of the Right’s lack of unity.
Pam, you are a Republican leader. Be careful how you confront the public. Practice more grace. Republican leaders need to practice that because you guys are no longer in my position where I can be more blunt. But he wasn’t throwing a tantrum. He just wants to return to the old way of voting. He needs to understand the old way is gone (for now) and today Republicans need to vote as a Team.
No Leo all Pam is saying is treat the primary as you would a normal Republican primary like everywhere else in America. Person with the most votes win.
The entire intent of Rank Choice Voting is to create the current system that allows decoy candidates on the General Election Ballot.
If the conservative candidates step aside as did the Lt Governor did in 2024, the choice will be clear.
The true Stateswoman event was when Bernadette Wilson made the pledge to back the Republican top vote getter.
As a side bar, there is no such thing as the perfect Political candidate. So stop your crying.
That said have you really looked into JKT’s Bio or sing any of songs by Begich? Both of the Democrat candidates should scare the Hell out of all Alaskans.
If Begich or JKT withdraws and the Republicans continue to field multiple candidates, they deserve to lose. Democrats are evil, and Republicans are stupid. I’m not sure which is more dangerous.
Pam, consolidate could work like it did in 2024 with Nick Begich. But, and this is a big but, if Bronson or Wilson drop out another Republican (Treg Taylor) will move up onto the ballot. IF he were to drop out too then Click Bishop moves up. My understanding is he is a nasty fake Republican who will stay on the ballot just to screw up the race. Will Dems rank him as a second choice if either JKT or Tom Begich drop out? Do Republicans chance having their ballot exhausted by just voting for Wilson or Bronson? Personally I am completely confused as to what the best strategy would be so Alaska gets a Republican governor.
The best strategy for Republicans is vote 1. And that’s Bernadette/Fmr state senator Shower ticket and All four others need to drop out.
I doubtful that’s going to happen. I think Alaska Will have a 2027 Democrat Governor plus legislature. It’s like God is giving America over to her enemies.
This is a simple reductionistic attempt at saying ‘do it my way, the data supports it,’ while omitting the data.
So if the data supports consolidation, then show us the data.
What was different in the actual ranking in 2022 vs 2024?
Reducing Begich’s 2024 victory to consolidation is only a claim made without the data to support the claim – while you claim the data supports it.
Alaskans aren’t dumb – show the data that supports your claim that consolidation is the key to 2026 Gubernatorial Victory.