Singer-songwriter and former state senator Tom Begich, a Democrat running for governor, announced this week that his campaign has raised $310,000 since entering the race.
Begich launched his gubernatorial bid on Aug. 18 and says that 93% of the money raised came from within Alaska. In other words, he’s getting no support from the national party. He is one of two Democrats currently running for governor, alongside Matt Claman, a sitting state senator from Anchorage.
While Begich’s campaign has promoted the fundraising total as a milestone, the figure is modest when compared to recent Democratic gubernatorial efforts. In the 2022 election cycle, former Anchorage Democrat Les Gara raised roughly $1.13 million through the primary reporting period while challenging incumbent Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy. Gara, who was serving as a state senator at the time, ultimately lost the race.
In fact, Begich’s $310,000 haul amounts to less than one-third of what Gara raised during the same stage of the 2022 cycle.
Tom Begich is the uncle of Republican Congressman Nick Begich III, who currently holds Alaska’s lone seat in the US House. Tom is the brother of Democrat former Sen. Mark Begich, who was ousted by Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan in 2014.
4 thoughts on “Singer-songwriter Tom Begich raises weak amount so far for his gubernatorial bid”
You’d think he could do better just by riding on the political coatails of his nephew and brother, it got him elected to the state senate after all.
I dont think he would make it off the runway riding on his brothers coatail.
There were a lot of voters that didnt want to vote for Nick just because of his family ties and all the damage Uncle Mark did to Anchorage property taxpayers with their over inflated tax assessments just to be able to gift the unions with big pay raises in exchange for votes. Tom will make a better career out of entertaining burnt out hippies by sitting around the campfire singing songs about the “good ol days”.
Brother Mark can funnel Tom some of the ill-gotten gains from the homeless housing contracts he’s penned with our Assembly majority.
That’s normal from AKDemocrats
That’s why they are dependent on outside millionaires and billionaires to carry them through a state election
Not many Alaskans have financial literacy nor biblical understanding of giving, generosity, and financial stewardship.
However when there are thirteen R gubernatorial candidates all racing for the same R donors money with two D gubnatorial candidates to which one should drop out too, the Ak Democrats won’t have as much problems as Republican after the August Primary because All your biggest donors will be maxed and broke for what they can give to a political candidate