Alaska Rep. Nick Begich III, a Republican, began his congressional career on Jan. 3. He represents Alaska’s only congressional district, having defeated former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) in the Nov. 5 election.
While Begich has always been a Republican, his relatives who served in public office were Democrats. Interestingly, he did not know until middle school that his grandfather was a member of Congress.
Begich’s grandfather, Nick Begich Sr., represented the district his grandson now represents between. He served from January 1971 until December 1972, then went missing in a plane crash and was presumed dead.
Begich’s uncle, Mark Begich, served in the U.S. Senate between 2009 and 2015 after holding multiple political offices in Alaska. Another uncle, Tom Begich, was minority leader of the Alaska Senate between 2019 and 2023….