Mark Begich

"Senator Begich" redirects here. For other uses, seeSenator Begich (disambiguation).

Mark Begich
Chair of theSenate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee
In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2015
Leader	Harry Reid
Preceded by	Debbie Stabenow
Succeeded by	Amy Klobuchar
United States Senator fromAlaska
In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2015
Preceded by	Ted Stevens
Succeeded by	Dan Sullivan
34thMayor of Anchorage
In office July 1, 2003 – January 3, 2009
Preceded by	George Wuerch
Succeeded by	Dan Sullivan
Chair of theAnchorage Assembly
In office April 30, 1996 – May 5, 1998
Preceded by	Craig Campbell
Succeeded by	Fay Von Gemmingen
In office May 4, 1993 – December 7, 1993
Preceded by	James Barnett
Succeeded by	Dick Traini
Member of theAnchorage Assembly from Seat H
In office October 4, 1988 – April 21, 1998
Preceded by	Brad Bradley
Succeeded by	Melinda Taylor
Personal details
Born	Mark Peter Begich (1962-03-30)March 30, 1962 Anchorage, Alaska,U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Deborah Bonito ​ (m.1990)​
Children	1
Relatives	Nick Begich(father) Tom Begich(brother) Joseph Begich(uncle)

Mark Peter Begich(/ˈbɛɡɪtʃ/BEGG-itch;born March 30, 1962) is an American politician and lobbyist who served as aUnited States senatorfromAlaskafrom 2009 to 2015. A member of theDemocratic Party,he served asmayorofAnchoragefrom 2003 to 2009.

Begich was born in Anchorage, making him the first U.S. Senator native to the State. He is the son of formerU.S. RepresentativeNick Begich Sr.He was elected to theAnchorage Assemblyat the age of 26. He eventually served as chairman for three years, before leaving the Assembly in 1998. Begich ran two unsuccessful campaigns for Mayor of Anchorage in1994and2000before being elected in2003.He was reelected in2006.In the2008 Senate election,Begich narrowly defeated incumbentTed Stevens,at the time the longest-servingRepublicanmember of the U.S. Senate.

In the2014 Senate election,Begich was narrowly defeated in his bid for reelection by former Alaska Attorney GeneralDan Sullivan.Following completion of his term in the U.S. Senate, Begich started Anchorage-based consulting firm Northern Compass Group. On June 1, 2018, Begich announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination forGovernor of Alaskain the2018 election,facing off againstRepublicannominee and former state senatorMike Dunleavy.He lost the gubernatorial election by a margin of seven percent.

Early life, education, and early political career

Begich was born and raised inAnchorage,Alaska.He is the son of Margaret Jean "Pegge" (née Jendro) and formerU.S. RepresentativeNick Begich.His father disappeared in October 1972 during a small plane flight from Anchorage toJuneau, Alaskawith then-U.S. House Majority LeaderHale Boggs,but was reelected the next month, while missing, before both weredeclared legally dead.

The fourth of six children, he has two sisters and three brothers. His paternal grandparents wereCroatian;his paternal grandfather, John Begich, immigrated to the United States fromCroatia(then part of the empire ofAustria-Hungary) in 1911.His mother had Polish, Bohemian (Czech), Dutch, and English ancestry.He attendedSteller Secondary Schoolin Anchorage. As an adolescent, he opened an 18-and-under club called "The Motherlode." At the age of 18, he had obtained a business license to sell jewelry and was helping his mother manage a number of real estate properties. Because of his business opportunities, he decided not to go to college.

His mother twice ran against longtime Congressional RepresentativeDon Youngin the 1980s, who had filled her late husband's seat in a special election in 1973, losing both times.

At the age of 19, Begich started working in the Anchorage city health department and later worked as a driver for then-Anchorage MayorTony Knowles.During the 1988 legislative session, Begich worked as a legislative aide for State RepresentativeDave Donley.Begich was elected to the Anchorage Assembly in 1988, at age 26, and served until 1998, including three years as chairman and two as vice chairman.

Begich served for a number of years on the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education, including as its chair.In 2001, GovernorTony Knowlesappointed Begich to theUniversity of AlaskaBoard of Regents, but the legislature did not confirm the appointment.

Mayor of Anchorage

Begich as mayor ofAnchorage

Begich ran unsuccessfully for mayor in1994againstRick Mystrom,and in2000against then-AssemblymanGeorge Wuerch.In the2003 mayoral racehe narrowly defeated both Mystrom and Wuerch, earning only 11 votes over the number needed to win without a runoff, in accordance with a simultaneously approved law decreasing the threshold needed to avoid such arunoff electionfrom 50 to 45 percent. He was re-electedin April 2006,winning against local advertising and radio personality Jack Frost. Although the office is officiallynonpartisan,Begich was the firstDemocratto be elected Mayor of the Municipality of Anchorage sinceTony Knowles.

Begich was a member of the pro-gun-control groupMayors Against Illegal Guns.Begich left the group in 2007.

U.S. Senate

Elections

2008

Begich campaigning atPioneer ParkinFairbanksin September 2008

Main article:2008 United States Senate election in Alaska

On February 27, 2008, Begich announced that he was forming anexploratory committeeto run for the United States Senate.After winning the Democratic nomination, he went on to face Republican incumbentTed Stevensin the general election. Begich was ahead in polls prior to the election. During the campaign,Stevens faced a multiple count indictment on ethics and corruption charges.

On October 27, 2008, eight days before the general election, Stevens was found guilty by a Washington D.C. federal jury on seven felony counts.

Stevens's conviction was laterset asidedue toprosecutorial misconduct.Attorney GeneralEric Holderlater declined to retry Stevens on the corruption charges.

In April 2009,Alaska Republican Partychairman Randy Ruedrich issued a call for Begich to resign so a special election could be held. Despite the fact that the charges had been brought by the Bush administration, Ruedrich argued that Begich's win was illegitimate because of "improper influence from the corrupt Department of Justice." The same dayGovernorSarah Palinseconded Ruedrich's call, although she later denied having said Begich should resign.Begich said he intended to serve his full six-year term.

On November 18, 2008, theAssociated Presscalled the election for Begich,who was leading and likely to win by more than the 0.5% margin needed to trigger an automatic recount, with the remainder of uncounted ballots originating from the Anchorage area.Stevens conceded the race the next day.

Begich's victory made him Alaska's first Democratic U.S. Senator sinceMike Gravelleft office in 1981.

2014

Main article:2014 United States Senate election in Alaska

Begich was up for re-election in 2014. He faced William Bryk in the Democratic primary on August 19, 2014, winning 96.7% of the vote. Candidates in the closed Republican primary included Lieutenant GovernorMead Treadwell,who received 25% of the vote; former Alaska Attorney General and Department of Natural Resources CommissionerDaniel S. Sullivan,who won with 40%; 2010 U.S. Senate nomineeJoe Miller(32%); and John Jaramillo (3%).Alaska's 2014 U.S. Senate race was considered one of the most competitive congressional races in the nation, with theCook Political Reportrating it a "toss-up."In the finalRothenberg Political Reportbefore the election, the Report considered the race a "Toss-up/Tilt Republican."

In August 2014, shortly before the Senate primary,Lisa Murkowski,who served alongside Begich in the U.S. Senate, objected to Begich's use of her image in a campaign advertisement titled "Great Team." Murkowski's law firm sent a cease-and-desist letter, calling the advertisement "factually incorrect." According toPolitico,"Begich, running in deep-red Alaska, has sought on several occasions to highlight shared positions with Murkowski. But she is distancing herself."Begich declined to pull the ad.

According toThe New York Times,Alaska's 2014 U.S. Senate race is "potentially pivotal" and "nationally watched."The New York Timesreported that in a bid to keep his seat, "Begich will try to attract rural voters and supporters of abortion rights."According toThe Washington Post,Begich is campaigning on the idea of expandingSocial Securitybenefits. According toThe Washington Post,"Begich is one of a small but growing group of Democratic lawmakers who support the idea of lifting or changing the payroll tax cap, so higher earners pay more while adopting a new measure for inflation that would increase benefits for all seniors."

In August 2014, Begich pulled a campaign ad accusing opponent Dan Sullivan of allowing an alleged murderer and rapist to get off with a light sentence. That claim was proven to be false by fact-checkers.The ad was withdrawn from Alaska television stations following demands from the crime victim's family that the ads were both insensitive and threatened prosecution of a criminal suspect.

Begich voted against a Republican-sponsored amended in the Senate to strip all funding from President Obama'sDeferred Action for Childhood Arrivalsprogram and to prevent the DACA program from being expanded. During the campaign, Sullivan criticized Begich's vote.

On November 17, 2014, Begich conceded the election to Sullivan.

Tenure

On February 13, 2009, Begich voted to pass theAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009(commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act).

In 2012, Begich introduced a bill called the Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act. The bill would have lifted the payroll tax cap, raising taxes on those who earn $110,100 or more per year. It did not pass.

According to an analysis byCongressional Quarterlyin 2013 Begich voted with President Obama 97% of the time.

In March 2013, Begich co-sponsored a bill that would flag individuals attempting to buy guns who have used an insanity defense, were ruled dangerous by a court or had been committed by a court to mental health treatment. It did not address thegun show loophole.It has not been passed into law.

RepresentativeDon Young(R–AK) praised Begich for doing a "great job" representing Alaska.

Legislation

Begich sponsored 164 bills of his own, including:

111th Congress (2009–2010)

• S. 1561–1566, Begich's first bills, each introduced on August 3, 2009, would address a number of issues affecting the Arctic region. S. 1561 would increase coordination among the United States, Russia, Canada, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, and other seafaring and Arctic nations with regard to navigation, monitoring of conditions, and marine pollution in Arctic waters. S.1562 would review and make more efficient scientific research being conducted in the Arctic and would direct theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationto develop an observation, monitoring, modeling, and research plan forblack carbonand other aerosols. S. 1563 would create a U.S. Ambassador At Large for Arctic Affairs. S. 1564 would increase the studying of, preparation for, and responses to oil spills that occur in theBeaufortandChukchi Seas.S. 1565 would direct theUnited States Arctic Research Commissionto submit biennial reports to Congress detailing the strategies to deal with health needs specific to populations living in the Arctic. S. 1566 would create a grant program in the Department of Agriculture to aid individuals and organizations in the Arctic in adapting to changes in climate and would fund research detailing the most appropriate responses to changes in Arctic climate. Begich later introduced S. 3580 and S.3584, which are similar to S.1564. S.1563, S.1565, S.3580, and S.3584 were reintroduced in the 112th Congress as S. 1229, S. 1227, S. 203 and S. 204. S. 1563 and S. 1565 were reintroduced in the 113th Congress as S. 270 and S. 271.
• S. 1673, a bill to increase the tax deduction for Alaska Native corporations that make donations to conservation on lands reserved for Alaska Natives, introduced September 15, 2009, reintroduced in the 113th Congress as S. 2636
• S. 2842 and S. 2873, bills to deny the tax deduction for direct-to-consumer expenses for prescription pharmaceuticals advertisers, and to allow for a $500 tax credit for the parents of any child who participates in an organization that promotes physical activity for children, introduced December 7 and 11, 2009
• S. 2852, a bill to support the development of renewable energy sources in the Arctic, introduced December 9, 2009, reintroduced in the 112th Congress as S. 3371, and in the 113th Congress as S. 2705
• S. 3225, a bill to create a competitive grant program in the Department of Commerce, with grants to be awarded to entities that promote domestic regional tourism growth and new domestic tourism market creation, was introduced on March 19, 2010. A modified version of this bill was introduced in the 112th Congress as S. 1663.
• S. 3704, a bill to reform theFederal Housing Administration(FHA) in order to improve the financial safety and soundness of the FHA mortgage insurance program, was introduced on August 4, 2010. S. 3704's companion bill was passed by the House of Representatives but has not become law.
• S. 3820, a bill to create a competitive grant program, with grants to be awarded to educational institutions that implement and expand effective science, technology, engineering, and mathematics curricula, introduced September 29, 2010, reintroduced in the 112th Congress as S. 463
• S. 3969 and S. 3971, bills to requiregenetically engineeredfish to be labeled as such, and to prohibit the commercial approval of genetically engineered fish, introduced November 18, 2010, reintroduced in the 112th Congress as S. 229 and S. 230

112th Congress (2011–2012)

• S. 205, a bill to require post-production oil drilled from Arctic waters to be transported by means of pipelines, to allocate 37.5% of the revenue generated from leasing rights and post-leasing activities to the Alaskan government, of which 20% is to be allocated to coastal political subdivisions, 33% to certain regional corporations, and 7% to Alaska Native Indian tribes, and to allocate 6.25% of federal royalty revenue to a land and water conservation fund and to reducing the federal government's budget deficit, introduced January 26, 2011, reintroduced in the 113th Congress as S. 199
• S. 895, a bill to create a competitive grant program in the Department of Education to award grants to educational institutions that improve the effectiveness of teachers, strengthen the use of data to improve education, provide rigorous standards with high-standard tests aligned with those standards, turn around the lowest-performing schools, and any other thing the Secretary of Education chooses, with at least 25% of funds being allocated to rural education institutions, and to direct the Secretary of Education to create performance measures to track improvements, introduced May 5, 2011, reintroduced in the 113th Congress as S. 283
• S. 1357, a bill to make theRoadless Area Conservation Ruleinapplicable to land in Alaska included in theNational Forest System,introduced July 13, 2011, reintroduced in the 113th Congress as S. 384
• S. 1691, a bill to allow the interstate sale of firearms if the transaction is in compliance with both states' laws, and to no longer prohibit licensees from conducting business at gun shows outside of the state in which they received their license, introduced on October 12, 2011
• S. 1717, a bill to prohibitgenetically engineered salmonfrom being distributed or sold in interstate and foreign commerce, introduced October 17, 2011
• S. 2180 and S. 2181, bills to create a $3,000 tax credit for early-childhood educators, to include early-childhood educators in the federal loan forgiveness programs for teachers, and to cap the allowable amount of loan forgiveness in these programs for early-childhood educators at $25,000, introduced March 8, 2012, reintroduced in the 113th Congress as S. 438 and S. 440
• S. 2188, a bill to allow individuals with a permit to carry concealed handguns to be able to conceal their handguns in all other states in which equivalent laws exist, introduced March 12, 2012
• S. 3262, a bill to authorize aboriginalwhalingif it is used for the purpose of subsistence, is accomplished in an efficient manner, and does not include the hunting of any whale accompanied by a calf, introduced July 5, 2012
• S. 3451, a bill to exempt certain air taxi services from an excise tax imposed on air transportation, introduced July 26, 2012

113th Congress (2013–2014)

• S. 282, a bill to award competitive grants to states that implement post-secondary education planning and career guidance programs for students, introduced February 12, 2013
• S. 287, a bill to expand veterans' benefits for homeless veterans, introduced on February 12, 2013
• S. 428, a bill to allow the Army to plan, survey, design, construct, maintain, or operate Arctic deepwater ports in cooperation with developers (which the bill defines), introduced on February 28, 2013
• S. 896, a bill to eliminate theFederal Insurance Contributions Act tax's cap on taxable income, introduced May 8, 2013
• S. 1325, a bill to expand the small business tax credit for health insurance, was introduced on July 18, 2013. A modified version of this bill was later introduced as S. 2069.
• S. 1327, a bill to allow employers to enroll their employees in a health plan in theFederal Employees Health Benefits Programif fewer than two plans are offered in the Small Business Health Options Program and no multi-state plans are available, introduced July 18, 2013
• S. 1729, a bill to create a new "copper" tier of health plans below current "bronze" level plans offered in the PPACA's insurance exchanges, introduced November 19, 2013
• S. 2059, a bill to expand theNonbusiness Energy Property Tax Creditfrom a lifetime credit of $1,500 to $5,000 in a single taxable year, introduced February 27, 2014
• S. 2241, a bill to create harsher penalties for individuals who distribute or manufacture drugs in or near schools, recreational areas, swimming pools, and game arcades, introduced April 10, 2014
• S. 2258, a bill to bind the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for veterans' disability compensation to the COLA for disability benefits in the Social Security program, introduced April 28, 2014, signed into law September 26, 2014
• S. 2399, a bill to make valid for voting any ID card issued by an Indian Tribe or Native Corporation, and to place restrictions on the elimination, moving, and consolidation of polling locations in Indian reservations, introduced May 22, 2014
• S. 2957, a bill to prohibit Super PACs from making robocalls to individuals who have listed their phone number in theNational Do Not Call Registry,introduced November 25, 2014

Committee assignments

Begich, along withBill Huizenga,Michigan Congressional representative, andRon Wyden,Oregon U.S. Senator, visiting military personnel atKandahar Airfieldin January 2012.

• Committee on Appropriations
  • Subcommittee on Homeland Security
  • Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
  • Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
• Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
  • Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
  • Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet
  • Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation, and Export Promotion
  • Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard(chair)
  • Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security
• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Financial and Contracting Oversight
  • Subcommittee on the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Federal Programs and the Federal Workforce
  • Subcommittee on Emergency Management, Intergovernmental Relations, and the District of Columbia(chair)
• Committee on Indian Affairs
• Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Caucus memberships

• Senate Oceans Caucus

Political positions

Abortion

Begich ispro-choiceand opposes restrictions on late-term abortions.He has received a 100% rating from the pro-choice organizationNARALand a 0% rating from theanti-abortionorganizationNRLC.

Cannabis

Begich stated that he had concerns but would defendBallot Measure 2(AlaskaMarijuanaLegalization).

Capital punishment

Begich stated that he generally opposes thedeath penalty.

Domestic security

Begich wants to repeal thePatriot Actand opposes "allowing the government to conduct surveillance wiretaps without warrants."

Energy

In 2008, Begich supported the creation of a nationalcap-and-tradesystem for controlling greenhouse gas emissions.In 2010, he signed a letter advocating the establishment of a 'price' for greenhouse gas emissions as part of national energy policy. Begich has stated that this should not be interpreted as support for acarbon tax.

Begich supportsdrilling for oilin theArctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Environment

Begich believes that human activity is amajor factor contributing to climate change.

Gun rights

In 2014, Begich had a 79% (A−) rating with theNRA Political Victory Fund.

Healthcare

Begich voted in favor of thePatient Protection and Affordable Care Act(most commonly known as Obamacare) when the bill first passedCongress.Begich has not said whether or not he would vote for the bill again.

Israel

Begich is a supporter ofIsraeland is part of the advisory committee of the pro-Israel groupAmerican Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Labor

Begich supports raising theminimum wageand extending unemployment benefits beyond 26 weeks.

Same-sex marriage

Begich supportssame-sex marriage.

Veterans' affairs

On April 28, 2014, Begich introduced theVeterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2014 (S. 2258; 113th Congress),a bill that would, beginning on December 1, 2014, increase the rates of veterans' disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children.

Personal life

Begich is married to Deborah Bonito, a former chair of theAlaska Democratic Partyand the owner of several small businesses throughout Anchorage. They have a son, Jacob.Begich is a Roman Catholic.

During his term in the Senate, Begich was the only U.S. Senator without a college degree.He has taken continuing education classes at theUniversity of Alaska Anchorage.His brother Nick Jr. has researched and written about theHigh-frequency Active Auroral Research Program(HAARP) program as an instrument of weather modification and allegedly mind control.His nephew, Nick III, made the primary runoff (along with former governorSarah Palinand former state RepresentativeMary Peltola) for the Congressional seat that became vacant in 2022 as a result of the death ofDon Young.Mark's brotherTom Begichwas elected as a state senator from Anchorage in 2016 but declined to file for reelection in 2022.

Begich currently serves as a lobbyist withBrownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck.

Electoral history

Anchorage Assembly

1988 Anchorage Assembly Seat H
October 4, 1988

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Nonpartisan	Mark Begich	2,264	35.0
	Nonpartisan	Steven Fowler	1,914	29.5
	Nonpartisan	Dave Harbour	1,171	18.0
	Nonpartisan	Liz Vazquez	586	9.0
	Nonpartisan	Dorothy Cox	293	4.5
	Nonpartisan	Walt Wood	129	1.9
	Nonpartisan	Mike L. Heggenberger	44	0.6
	Nonpartisan	Nick Rodes	42	0.6
	Write-in	Write-in	26	0.4
Total votes			6,469

1991 Anchorage Assembly Seat H
October 1, 1991

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Nonpartisan	Mark Begich (incumbent)	5,216	55.06
	Nonpartisan	Eddie Burke	4,170	44.02
	Write-in	Write-in	88	0.93
Total votes			9,474

1995 Anchorage Assembly Seat H
April 18, 1995

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Nonpartisan	Mark Begich (incumbent)	4,657	51.06
	Nonpartisan	Steven R. Fowler	3,735	40.95
	Nonpartisan	Edward Robbins	470	5.15
	Write-in	Write-in	118	1.29
Total votes			8,980

Anchorage Mayor

1994 Anchorage Mayor
May 2, 2000

Candidate		Votes	%
Rick Mystrom		15,049	21.78
Mark Begich		13,533	19.58
Craig Campbell		12,018	17.39
Jim Kubitz		7,594	10.99
Heather Flynn		6,896	9.98
Dr. Joyce Murphy		6,181	8.94
Virginia Collins		4,260	6.16
Pat Parnell		2,314	3.35
Mike John O'Callaghan		547	0.79
Richard "Ziggy" Ziegler		271	0.39
Michael J. P. DeFermo		134	0.19
Tom Staudenmaier		107	0.15
Matthew P. Gill		62	0.09
Charles E. McKee		58	0.08
Write-ins		84	0.12
Total votes		69,108
Voter turnout		49.52%

1994 Anchorage Mayor Runoff
May 17, 1994

Candidate		Votes	%
Rick Mystrom		29,546	58.40
Mark Begich		21,046	41.60
Total votes		50,592

2000 Anchorage Mayor
April 4, 2000

Candidate		Votes	%
Mark Begich		24,920	40.26
George Wuerch		12,681	20.49
Jack Frost		11,396	18.41
Bob Bell		6,034	9.75
Dave Donely		2,744	4.43
Pete Kott		2,289	3.70
Theresa Nangle Obermeyer, Phd		1,178	1.90
John Kehr, Jr.		90	0.15
Race G. Jones		74	0.12
Write-ins		91	0.15
Total votes		61,497
Voter turnout		30.94%

2000 Anchorage Mayor Runoff
May 2, 2000

Candidate		Votes	%
George Wuerch		32,167	52.49
Mark Begich		20,116	47.51
Total votes		69,025
Voter turnout		35.63%

2003 Anchorage Mayor
April 1, 2003

Candidate		Votes	%
Mark Begich		28,604	45.03
George Wuerch(incumbent)		23,615	37.17
Richard Mystrom		9,954	15.67
David Dunsmore		488	0.77
Jennifer Citti		195	0.31
Thomas Mark Higgins		144	0.23
Richard Zeigler		135	0.21
Tom Layne		103	0.16
Daniel DeNardo		97	0.15
Ray Malcolm		61	0.1
Bruce J. Lemke		49	0.08
Write-in		79	0.12
Total votes		63,524
Voter turnout		34.45%

2006 Anchorage Mayor
April 4, 2006

Candidate		Votes	%
Mark Begich (incumbent)		39,468	55.95
Jack Frost		28,760	40.77
Nick Moe		1,747	2.48
Thomas Mark Higgins		431	431
Write-in		135	0.19
Total votes		70,541
Voter turnout		35.02%

U.S. Senate

2008 Alaska U.S. Senate Democratic primary election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Mark Begich	63,747	90.82
	Democratic	Ray Metcalfe	5,480	7.81
	Democratic	Frank Vondersaar	965	1.37
Turnout			70,192

2008 United States Senate election in Alaska

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Mark Begich	151,767	47.77	+37.26
	Republican	Ted Stevens(inc.)	147,814	46.52	−31.65
	Independence	Bob Bird	13,197	4.15	+1.22
	Libertarian	David Haase	2,483	0.78	−0.25
	Independent	Ted Gianoutsos	1,385	0.44
	Write-In		1,077	0.34	+0.21
Majority			3,953	1.24	−66.41
Turnout			317,723

2014 Alaska U.S. Senate Democratic primary election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Mark Begich (inc.)	58,092	96.63
	Democratic	William Bryk	2,024	3.37
Turnout			60,116

2014 United States Senate election in Alaska

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Dan Sullivan	135,445	47.96	+1.46
	Democratic	Mark Begich (inc.)	129,431	45.83	−1.94
	Libertarian	Mark Fish	10,512	3.72	+1.94
	Independent	Ted Gianoutsos	5,636	2	+1.56
	Write-ins	Others	1,376	0.49	+0.15
Plurality			6,014	2.13
Turnout			282,400	55.48

Alaska Governor

2018 Alaska Gubernatorial Primary

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Mark Begich	29,806	85.15
	Libertarian	William S. Toien	5,197	14.85

2018 Alaska gubernatorial/lieutenant gubernatorial election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Mike DunleavyandKevin Meyer	145,631	51.44%	+5.56%
	Democratic	Mark Begich and Debra Call	125,739	44.41%	N/A
	Independent	Bill Walker(inc.) andValerie Davidson(inc.)withdrawn	5,757	2.03%	−46.07%
	Libertarian	William Toien and Carolyn Clift	5,402	1.91%	−1.30%
	Write-in	Write-ins	605	0.21%	−0.11%
Total votes			283,134	100.0%	N/A

Further reading

• Biographyat theBiographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office)at theFederal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsoredat theLibrary of Congress
• ProfileatVote Smart

External links

• AppearancesonC-SPAN