What, if anything, needs to change about how candidates and elections are funded?
U.S. Representative
Mary Peltola
Democratic candidate for U.S. Representative
I’m the only candidate running for Congress in Alaska who isn’t a multimillionaire. My opponents and outside special interest groups outraised me in the primary and special general elections — but with the help of my grassroots supporters — I prevailed and earned the opportunity to complete Rep. Don Young’s last term in Congress. What I’ve learned from all of this is that Alaska wants fair and honest elections that focus on the issues. We want to know who the special interest groups are and how they are spending political dollars. As much as we prioritize personal privacy — we want political transparency.
(Editor’s note: According to financial disclosure reports, not all of the congressional candidates are multimillionaires. You can read Chris Bye’s financial disclosure report here, Nick Begich’s here, Sarah Palin’s here and Mary Peltola’s here.)
Sarah Palin
Republican candidate for U.S. Representative
Ultimately, the problem with money in politics is more about personal enrichment than campaign donations. As we’ve seen play out, some public officials can be bribed fairly easily — and embarrassingly cheaply. For a few hundred or a few thousand bucks — pocket change to corporate executives and lobbyists — some lawmakers can be bought and sold. The solution is to elect people who actually care about public service, as opposed to career politicians who are out for themselves first and foremost. We need those with a servant’s heart who are willing to make personal sacrifices of time, money, and often even their relationships and opportunities. Principles and ethics matter, and we as citizens and voters have every right to hold our elected representatives to the highest standards.
Chris Bye
Libertarian candidate for U.S. Representative
Any changes will need to be state driven. D.C.’s professional politicians, bureaucrats and special interests are not going to allow any necessary changes because it will upset their cozy positions. States however could instill term limits, which would in effect change funding habits. The First Amendment makes it pretty tough to limit anyone’s free speech and spending money is a form of free speech. Alaskans who are truly engaged in this issue should encourage folks to research all candidates thoroughly and completely disregard all advertisements and question all media stories.
Nick Begich
Republican candidate for U.S. Representative
In recent years, most major candidates for Senate and House have been funded predominantly by interests outside of Alaska. This includes candidates within this U.S. House race. It is my view that we would do well as a nation to ensure that campaigns are financed predominantly by those within a district or state, as applicable. However, doing so would require a constitutional amendment to be enacted, as under present law there are very few limitations available for campaign finance.