Mark Begich

Early life, education and early political career

Begich was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. He is the son of Margaret Jean "Pegge" (née Jendro) and former U.S. Representative Nick Begich. His father disappeared in October 1972 during a flight from Anchorage to Juneau, Alaska with then U.S. House Majority Leader Hale Boggs, but was reelected the next month, while missing, before both were declared legally dead.

The fourth of six children, he has two sisters and three brothers. His paternal grandparents were Croatian; his paternal grandfather John Begich immigrated to the United States from Croatia (then part of the empire of Austria-Hungary) in 1911. His mother had Polish, Bohemian (Czech), Dutch, and English ancestry. He attended Steller Secondary School in Anchorage. As an adolescent, he opened an 18-and-under club called "The Motherlode." At 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 to fill her late-husband's Congressional seat in the 1980s, losing to current Representative Don Young both times.

At 19, Begich started working in the Anchorage city health department and later worked as a driver for then-Anchorage Mayor Tony Knowles. During the 1988 legislative session, Begich worked as a legislative aide for State Representative Dave 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, Governor Tony Knowles appointed Begich to the University of Alaska Board of Regents, but the legislature did not confirm the appointment.

Mayor of Anchorage

He ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1994 against Rick Mystrom, and in 2000 against then-Assemblyman George Wuerch. In the 2003 mayoral race he 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 a runoff election from 50 to 45 percent. He was re-elected in April 2006, winning against local advertising and radio personality Jack Frost. Though the office is officially nonpartisan, Begich was the first Democrat to be elected Mayor of the Municipality of Anchorage since Tony Knowles.

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

2008

On February 27, 2008, Begich announced that he was forming an exploratory committee to run for the United States Senate. After winning the Democratic nomination, he went on to face Republican incumbent Ted Stevens in 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 later set aside due to prosecutorial misconduct. Attorney General Eric Holder later declined to retry him on the corruption charges.

In April 2009, Alaska Republican Party chairman, 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 day Governor Sarah Palin seconded 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, the Associated Press called 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 since Mike Gravel left office in 1981.

2014

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 Lt. Governor Mead Treadwell, who received 25% of the vote; former Alaska Attorney General and Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Daniel S. Sullivan, who won with 40%; 2010 U.S. Senate nominee Joe Miller (32%); and John Jaramillo (3%). Alaska's 2014 U.S. Senate race is considered one of the most competitive congressional races in the nation, with the Cook Political Report rating it a "toss-up." In the final Rothenberg Political Report before the election, the Report considered the race a “Toss-up/Tilt Republican.”

In August 2014, shortly before the Senate primary, Lisa Murkowski, who serves 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 to Politico, "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 to the New York Times, Alaska's 2014 U.S. Senate race is "potentially pivotal" and "nationally watched." The New York Times reported that in a bid to keep his seat, "Begich will try to attract rural voters and supporters of abortion rights." According to the Washington Post, Begich is campaigning on the idea of expanding Social Security benefits. According to the 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.

Begin voted against a Republican-sponsored amended in the Senate to strip all funding from President Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program 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 the American 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 by Congressional Quarterly in 2013 Begich voted with President Obama 97% of the time.

In March 2013, Begich cosponsored 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 the gun show loophole. It has not been passed into law.

Representative Don 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)

112th Congress (2011–2012)

113th Congress (2013–2014)

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Abortion

Begich is pro-choice and opposes restrictions on late-term abortions. He has received a 100% rating from the pro-choice organization NARAL and a 0% rating from the pro-life organization NRLC.

Cannabis

Begich stated that he has concerns but will defend Ballot Measure 2 (Alaska Marijuana Legalization).

Capital punishment

Begich stated that he generally opposes the death penalty.

Domestic security

Begich wants to repeal the Patriot Act and opposes 'allowing the government to conduct surveillance wiretaps without warrants.'

Energy

In 2008, Begich supported the creation of a national cap-and-trade system 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 a carbon tax.

Begich supports drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Environment

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

Gun rights

Begich has a 79% rating with the National Rifle Association.

Healthcare

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

Israel

Begich is a supporter of Israel and is part of the advisory committee of the pro-Israel group American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Labor

Begich supports raising the minimum wage and extending unemployment benefits beyond 26 weeks.

Same-sex marriage

Begich supports same-sex marriage.

Veterans' affairs

On April 28, 2014, Begich introduced the Veterans' 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 the Alaska Democratic Party and 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 University of Alaska Anchorage.

Anchorage Assembly

Anchorage Assembly, Seat H 1995