Sarah Palin Defeated as Doubts Grow over GOP Plans to Capture House
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Republican Sarah Palin has been defeated by Democrat Mary Peltola in the special election for Alaska's at-large House seat, casting doubt on Republican expectations of retaking the House in the November midterms.
Peltola won the election following the counting of ballots on Wednesday. She will become the first Alaska Native to serve in Congress, the first Democrat to represent Alaska in 50 years and the first-ever woman to represent the state in the House. Palin, the former governor of Alaska and a vice presidential candidate in the 2008 election, said that she was "disappointed" by the outcome, while blaming Alaska's "crazy" new ranked-choice voting system for her defeat in a statement to the Associated Press (AP).
The Democratic gain follows an unexpected win by congressman-elect Pat Ryan in a New York swing district and represents a blow to Republicans, with their hopes of controlling the House having diminished after seeming nearly certain earlier in the year. A Democrat will hold the seat until at least January, during which time Peltola will complete the final term of long-serving Alaska congressman Don Young, who died in March after representing Alaska for 49 years.
Peltola will contend with Palin and additional candidates she faced in the special election—Republican Nick Begich III and Libertarian Chris Bye—in this year's regular election, which is set to take place alongside the nation's other midterms on November 8.
Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is pictured outside federal court in New York City on February 14, 2022. Palin was defeated on Wednesday by Democrat Mary Peltola in the special election for Alaska's at-large House seat. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Although Republicans had been heavily favored to win the House seat in November, some experts have said that the special election results indicate that the contest's outcome is anything but certain.
After her victory was announced, Peltola tweeted that she believed "the broad coalition we're building has the real chance of building the momentum we need to win in November."
When Alaskans work together, we win. That's why I know the broad coalition we're building has the real chance of building the momentum we need to win in November.
For the sake of our natural resources, our workers, and our right to choose, we have to.
— Mary Peltola (@MaryPeltola) August 31, 2022
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rated Alaska's House election as a "likely Republican" win. However, Cook analyst Dave Wasserman announced in a tweet on Wednesday that the race's rating would change to a "toss up" due to Peltola's victory.
Rating change: in the wake of Mary Peltola's (D) defeat of Sarah Palin (R), @CookPolitical will be moving #AKAL's November rating from Likely R to Toss Up.
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) September 1, 2022
Cook changed its prediction that Republicans would gain as many as 35 House seats in the midterms last week to a predicted GOP gain of 10 to 20 seats. Wasserman said that the possibility that Democrats could retain control of the chamber was "not out of the question."
Polling analysis website FiveThirtyEight predicted that Republicans were "favored" to win the House with a 76 percent chance as of Wednesday night. However, Democratic chances have been slightly improving in recent weeks.
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Some of those who reacted to news of Palin's defeat suggested that the result was a clear sign that midterm momentum had changed to benefit the Democrats.
"Forget about everything we know about midterms," MSNBC political analyst and former Biden administration official Cristobal Alex tweeted. "The game has changed. A Democrat just won a special election in Alaska, defeating Sarah Palin in the process. And history has been made. @MaryPeltola will become Alaska's first indigenous member of Congress."
Forget about everything we know about midterms. The game has changed.
A Democrat just won a special election in Alaska, defeating Sarah Palin in the process. And history has been made. @MaryPeltola will become Alaska's first indigenous member of Congress.https://t.co/BRLcGpMnPg
— Cristobal Alex (@CristobalJAlex) September 1, 2022
"Sarah Palin goes down in Alaska and Dems won another seat they weren't supposed to," tweeted Carlos G. Smith, a Democratic Florida state representative. "People are pissed about Republicans taking their abortion rights and they are not going to take it any more."
Sarah Palin goes down in Alaska and Dems won another seat they weren't supposed to.
People are pissed about Republicans taking their abortion rights and they are not going to take it any more.
— Rep. Carlos G Smith (@CarlosGSmith) September 1, 2022
"Palin loses in red Alaska," author and University of Nevada Las Vegas professor Lynn Comella tweeted. "Republicans should be very, very worried."
Palin loses in red Alaska. Republicans should be very, very worried.
— Lynn Comella (@LynnComella) September 1, 2022
"BREAKING: Sarah Palin just lost in a red state," tweeted Antonio Arellano of the youth voter mobilization organization NextGen America. "It cannot be overstated how fearful Republicans are right now for the midterms. They are finished."
BREAKING: Sarah Palin just lost in a red state.
It cannot be overstated how fearful Republicans are right now for the midterms. They are finished.
— Antonio Arellano (@AntonioArellano) September 1, 2022
"I'm sure pundits will say the Alaska race isn't a harbinger of any 'blue wave' cuz it was more about rejecting a bad R candidate," writer and filmmaker April Wolfe tweeted. "But... [looks at every R candidate, including a literal Nazi, a TV doctor, and a guy who desperately needs medical care for his brain] I dunno."
I'm sure pundits will say the Alaska race isn't a harbinger of any "blue wave" cuz it was more about rejecting a bad R candidate. But… [looks at every R candidate, including a literal Nazi, a TV doctor, and a guy who desperately needs medical care for his brain] I dunno. ♀️
— April Wolfe (@AWolfeful) September 1, 2022
"Sarah Palin just lost an R+8 seat that Trump carried with 53% of the vote," tweeted Democratic strategist Sawyer Hackett. "The seat just changed from Likely R to Toss Up. A lot of Republicans in solid red districts are getting nervous right now."
Sarah Palin just lost an R+8 seat that Trump carried with 53% of the vote. The seat just changed from Likely R to Toss Up.
A lot of Republicans in solid red districts are getting nervous right now. pic.twitter.com/6W4o6w8m9A
— Sawyer Hackett (@SawyerHackett) September 1, 2022
Newsweek reached out to the Palin and Peltola campaigns for comment.
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Trump cost gop the House, Senate and Presidency!
Now Trumpism is detailing the gop's midterm hope...
Remember when Sarah Boo Boo was a reality star?
60% of voters chose a republican.
I heard Palin is complaining that she lost because of ranked voting. Seems she was no one's second choice.
You don't seem to know how ranked voting works, say you rank Palin as your 1st choice, you can't then rank her as your second or third and so on, so if you are a republican and you don't like the other "R" candidate you pick either the "D" or "L" and that same thing goes for Begich his voters may not like Palin, now you have the democrat voters who only have one choice so she gets all their votes plus all the second choice from the combined 2x "R" and the "L" that picked her as the second choice. Now understand that the November election there is no second choice, the most votes takes it.
No shit ?
Palin said she lost because of ranked voting. Take your complaints up with her.
'Really?!' Bewildered Sarah Palin implodes after losing …
3 hours ago · Despite having agreed to the rules when she became a candidate on April 1st, Palin bewailed that ranked choice voting was unfair because she lost.
So you would agree, she is right, ranked voting denied her the win.
If it were turned around and there were 2x "D" and one "R" and one "L" and the "R" won because of the way ranked voting works wouldn't you think that the leader in the "D" would be just a bit miffed about it?
If she didn't agree to the rules would she be allowed on the ballot?
Why didnt the Republican Begich's voters make Paling their second choice?
Most of them did. After 1st round votes were counted, Peltola had about 40%, and Palin had about 31%, and Begich had bout 28%. With the 2nd round votes counted the margin was Peltola with 51.5% and Palin’s 48.5%.
That's the way I took it and the other thing that's been overlooked here is that the Peltola voters didn't split their 2nd choice votes between Palin or Begich but instead voted for the libertarian in the race which basically threw that vote away.
Why didnt the Republican Begich's voters make Paling their second choice?
Rhetorical question? I heard 10k of them didn’t even fill in their choice for second. That’s how toxic she is.
She still would have been a better president than Biden or Ms Giggles.
All one need to know, Mr. Jones…all further commentary is thusly rendered moot.
Sarah Palin is TEA Party and not MAGA. That distinction may be too subtle for Democrats to understand.
A loss is a loss…as any one with any care as to maintaining our personal freedoms will attest and celebrate.
But it's not a MAGA loss. Democrats are allowing themselves to be blindsided. [deleted]
That's nonsense. She supported Trump and she had Trump's strong support. MAGA is an evolution of the Tea Party. Some Republicans wallow in their ignorance and believe propaganda like your comment.
“But it's not a MAGA loss.”
Let us put in in terms perhaps more understandable…MAGA began at conception, conceived under the unholy alliance of Pat Robertson, Newt Gingrich and the like; nurtured under the Tea Party ‘banner of god’; and delivered, suckled, and grown under the tutelage of an abusive, allegating, abstract father figure.
So yes, a MAGA loss and in this analogy, the reason for terminating gestation if the well-being of society is threatened.
Where does Ronald Reagan fit into that screed? That broad brush screed would be very much like claiming Bernie Sanders is a Clinton Democrat. Of course the distinction may be too subtle. Anything less than a brick is too subtle for most Democrats.
Unlike the TEA Party, MAGA doesn't blame government. MAGA claims that liberal elites have broken government and society. MAGA is calling for removing the power and influence of liberal elites from government and society. The Republican brand provides no protection for elitist Republicans, either.