Mark Peter Begich is the junior
United States SenatorThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from
AlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and a member of the
Democratic PartyThe Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. A former
mayor of
AnchorageAnchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
, he served on the Anchorage Assembly for almost ten years prior to being elected mayor in 2003. In the highly competitive
2008 Alaska Senate electionThe 2008 United States Senate election in Alaska was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Ted Stevens ran for re-election. It was one of the ten Senate races that U.S. Senator John Ensign of Nevada, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, predicted as...
, Begich defeated incumbent
Ted StevensTheodore Fulton "Ted" Stevens, Sr. was a United States Senator from Alaska, serving from December 24, 1968, until January 3, 2009, and thus the longest-serving Republican senator in history...
, the longest serving
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the Senate of all time.
Born in
AnchorageAnchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
, he is the son of U.S. Representative
Nick BegichNicholas Joseph "Nick" Begich, Sr. was a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives from Alaska. He disappeared in a plane crash in Alaska in 1972. His son Mark Begich is currently the junior U.S...
, who disappeared and was presumed dead following a 1972 plane crash. He graduated from high school and has taken continuing education classes at
University of Alaska AnchorageThe University of Alaska Anchorage is the largest school of the University of Alaska System, with about 16,500 students, about 14,000 of whom attend classes at Goose Lake, its main campus in Anchorage....
, but does not have a college degree. At age 26 he was elected to the Anchorage Assembly. After serving as chairman for three years, he left the Assembly in 1998. Begich ran two unsuccessful campaigns for mayor in 1994 and 2000. He was finally elected in 2003, winning a narrow three-way race by 11 votes.
Begich handily won the Democratic nomination in the state's
2008 U.S. Senate electionThe 2008 United States Senate election in Alaska was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Ted Stevens ran for re-election. It was one of the ten Senate races that U.S. Senator John Ensign of Nevada, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, predicted as...
. He faced longtime incumbent
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Ted StevensTheodore Fulton "Ted" Stevens, Sr. was a United States Senator from Alaska, serving from December 24, 1968, until January 3, 2009, and thus the longest-serving Republican senator in history...
, who was facing ethics and corruption charges during his re-election campaign. Stevens was convicted of felony violations a week before the election, and Begich won by a narrow margin.
A member of the
Moderate Dems Working GroupModerate Dems Working Group is a caucus of moderate Democratic members of the United States Senate. The group's goal is to work with the Senate leadership and the Obama administration "to craft common-sense solutions to urgent national problems." The group's members are "joined by a shared...
, Begich is considered a
moderateIn politics and religion, a moderate is an individual who is not extreme, partisan or radical. In recent years, political moderates has gained traction as a buzzword....
Democrat. He is
pro-choiceSupport for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
and supports ANWR drilling, gun rights, and benefits for same-sex couples. He opposes the Patriot Act. Begich has generally supported President
Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's legislative agenda, including the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care ActThe Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
of 2009 and the
Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010The Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 is a landmark federal statute that establishes a legal process for ending the Don't ask, don't tell policy , which since 1993 prevented openly gay and lesbian people from serving in the United States Armed Forces.The Act did not immediately repeal the...
. Begich became the Chairman of the
Democratic Steering and Outreach CommitteeAccording to the official website, "the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee is dedicated to fostering dialogue between Senate Democrats and community leaders from across the nation...
in 2011.
Early life, education and career
Begich was born in
AnchorageAnchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
at the old
Providence HospitalProvidence Alaska Medical Center is located at 3200 Providence Drive in Anchorage, Alaska, is Alaska's largest hospital, has 341 beds and more than 500 physicians on staff. It is a full-service facility, featuring the state's most advanced medical equipment and treatment systems available...
, and is the first person born in Anchorage to be elected as the city's mayor. He is the son of former U.S. Representative
Nick BegichNicholas Joseph "Nick" Begich, Sr. was a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives from Alaska. He disappeared in a plane crash in Alaska in 1972. His son Mark Begich is currently the junior U.S...
, who disappeared (and was declared legally dead) in October 1972 during a flight from Anchorage to
JuneauThe City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900...
with then House Majority Leader
Hale BoggsThomas Hale Boggs Sr. , was an American Democratic politician and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Orleans, Louisiana...
. The fourth child of six born to Nick and Pegge Begich; he has two sisters and three brothers. His
CroatianCroats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
paternal grandfather John Begich immigrated to the United States from Austria–Hungary (today
CroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
) in 1911. He attended
Steller Secondary SchoolSteller Secondary School is an alternative school located in Anchorage, Alaska. It is based on the philosophy that students have the right to control their own education. The Anchorage School District established the school in 1974 as a response to a proposal by the Committee of Alternative...
in Anchorage. Begich has taken continuing education classes at
University of Alaska AnchorageThe University of Alaska Anchorage is the largest school of the University of Alaska System, with about 16,500 students, about 14,000 of whom attend classes at Goose Lake, its main campus in Anchorage....
without graduating. As of 2009, Begich is the only U.S. Senator without a college degree.
Early political career
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. In 1989, Begich led the opposition to the sale of the municipally-owned Anchorage Telephone Utility (ATU) to private interests. ATU was eventually sold in 1999 (after Begich had left the Assembly). Begich was also one of the chief sponsors of the introduction of photo radar.
Begich served for a number of years on the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education, including as its chair. In 2001, Governor
Tony KnowlesAnthony Carroll Knowles is an American Democratic politician and businessman who served as the seventh Governor of Alaska from December 1994 to December 2002. Barred from seeking a third consecutive term as governor in 2002, he ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 2004 and again for governor in...
appointed Begich to the University of Alaska Board of Regents, but the Legislature did not confirm the appointment.
He ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1994 against
Rick MystromRick Mystrom is a Republican politician and businessman in Anchorage, Alaska. He was Mayor of Anchorage from 1994 to 2000.-Biography:Mystrom was born in Minnesota and came to Alaska in 1972. In 1975, he established Mystrom/Beck Advertising. In 1982, he received the Small Business Person of the Year...
, and in 2000 against then-Assemblyman
George WuerchGeorge P. Wuerch is an American politician and a member of the Republican Party. He served as mayor of Anchorage, Alaska from 2000 to 2003....
. In the 2003 mayoral race he narrowly defeated both Mystrom and Wuerch, earning only 11 votes over the number needed to win, due to a simultaneously approved law increasing the threshold needed to avoid a runoff election from 40 to 45 percent. He was re-elected in April 2006, winning against local advertising and radio personality Jack Frost. Though the office is officially
nonpartisanIn political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
, Begich is the first
DemocratThe Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to be elected Mayor of the Municipality of Anchorage since
Tony KnowlesAnthony Carroll Knowles is an American Democratic politician and businessman who served as the seventh Governor of Alaska from December 1994 to December 2002. Barred from seeking a third consecutive term as governor in 2002, he ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 2004 and again for governor in...
, who was later elected to two terms as Governor of Alaska.
Begich is a former member of the
Mayors Against Illegal Guns CoalitionMayors Against Illegal Guns is a coalition of over 600 mayors who support a number of gun control initiatives that the group calls "commonsense reforms" to fight illegal gun trafficking and gun violence in the United States...
. His split from the mayor's group was well-publicized.
2008 election
On February 27, 2008, Begich announced that he was forming an
exploratory committeeIn the election politics of the United States, an exploratory committee is an organization established to help determine whether a potential candidate should run for an elected office. They are most often cited in reference to United States Presidential hopefuls, prior to the primaries.Exploratory...
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. The polls showed the race to be leaning for Begich due to Stevens' indictment and later felony convictions. On November 18, 2008, the
Associated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
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 over Stevens in the 2008 Senate elections made him the first Democrat to represent Alaska in either chamber of the
United States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
since
Mike GravelMaurice Robert "Mike" Gravel is a former Democratic United States Senator from Alaska, who served two terms from 1969 to 1981, and a former candidate in the 2008 presidential election....
, who was defeated in
the Democratic primary in 1980The 1980 United States Senate election in Alaska was held on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Mike Gravel had earlier lost his party's primary to Clark Gruening, and Gruening lost the general election to Republican Party member Frank Murkowski.- Candidates :*Michael J...
and left the Senate in 1981 upon the expiration of his term. Begich is the first
Croatian-AmericanCroatian Americans are citizens of the United States of Croatian descent.-Numbers:According to the 2007 US Community Survey, there are 420,763 Americans of full or partial Croatian descent....
elected to the
United States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. He is also the first Mayor of Anchorage to be elected to the Senate. Begich's father,
Nick BegichNicholas Joseph "Nick" Begich, Sr. was a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives from Alaska. He disappeared in a plane crash in Alaska in 1972. His son Mark Begich is currently the junior U.S...
, was the last Democrat to represent Alaska in the
U.S. House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, which he did until he was declared legally dead at the end of 1972, following his disappearance along with Boggs earlier that year.
Stevens's conviction was later set aside due to
prosecutorial misconductIn jurisprudence, prosecutorial misconduct is a procedural defense; via which, a defendant may argue that they should not be held criminally liable for actions which may have broken the law, because the prosecution acted in an "inappropriate" or "unfair" manner. Such arguments may involve...
. Alaska Republican Party chairman Randy Ruedrich issued a call for Begich to resign so a special election could be held. Ruedrich argued that Begich's win was illegitimate because of "improper influence from the 'corrupt' Department of Justice." The same day Governor
Sarah PalinSarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
seconded Ruedrich's call, although she later denied having said Begich should resign. Begich said in a statement that he intends to serve his full six-year term.
Tenure
Begich's political views are considered to be
moderateIn politics and religion, a moderate is an individual who is not extreme, partisan or radical. In recent years, political moderates has gained traction as a buzzword....
. He is a member of the
Moderate Dems Working GroupModerate Dems Working Group is a caucus of moderate Democratic members of the United States Senate. The group's goal is to work with the Senate leadership and the Obama administration "to craft common-sense solutions to urgent national problems." The group's members are "joined by a shared...
. He is in favor of ANWR drilling and a supporter of gun rights. He is
pro-choiceSupport for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
, supports benefits for same-sex couples (though it is unclear if he supports
same-sex marriageSame-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
), opposes the Patriot Act, and claims to "generally" oppose the death penalty while acknowledging to sometimes "evolve on that issue". Begich supported President Barack Obama's health reform legislation; he voted for the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care ActThe Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
in December 2009, and he voted for the
Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 is a law that was enacted by the 111th United States Congress, by means of the reconciliation process, in order to amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act...
. Begich became the Chairman of the
Democratic Steering and Outreach CommitteeAccording to the official website, "the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee is dedicated to fostering dialogue between Senate Democrats and community leaders from across the nation...
in 2011. On December 18, 2010, Begich voted in favor of the
Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010The Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 is a landmark federal statute that establishes a legal process for ending the Don't ask, don't tell policy , which since 1993 prevented openly gay and lesbian people from serving in the United States Armed Forces.The Act did not immediately repeal the...
.
Committee assignments
- Committee on the Budget
The United States Senate Committee on Budget was established by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. It is responsible for drafting Congress's annual budget plan and monitoring action on the budget for the Federal Government. The committee has jurisdiction over the...
- Committee on Armed Services
The Committee on Armed Services is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of the nation's military, including the Department of Defense, military research and development, nuclear energy , benefits for members of the military, the Selective Service System and...
- Subcommittee on Airland
The Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Airland is one of six subcommittees within the Senate Armed Services Committee.-Jurisdiction:The Airland Subcommittee has primary jurisdiction over all issues related to the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S...
- Subcommittee on Personnel
The Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel is one of six subcommittees within the Senate Armed Services Committee.-Jurisdiction:The Personnel Subcommittee has jurisdiction over all matters relating to active and reserve military personnel, including pay rates, military health care and...
- Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
The Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces is one of six subcommittees within the Senate Armed Services Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
- Committee on Commerce, Science, Transportation
- Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
The Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security is one of the seven subcommittees within the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation-Members, 112th Congress:...
- Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet
- Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation, and Export Promotion
- Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
The Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard is one of the seven subcommittees within the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation-Members, 112th Congress:...
- Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security
- Committee on Veterans' Affairs
The United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs deals with oversight of United States veterans issues.-Members, 112th Congress:The Committee is chaired by Democrat Patty Murray of Washington, and the Ranking Member is Republican Richard Burr of North Carolina.Source: -Chairmen of the Senate...
Anchorage Assembly
Anchorage Assembly, Seat H 1995
- Mark Begich, 51%
- Steven Fowler, 41%
- Edward Robbins, 5%
Anchorage Mayor
Anchorage Mayor, 1994
- Rick Mystrom
Rick Mystrom is a Republican politician and businessman in Anchorage, Alaska. He was Mayor of Anchorage from 1994 to 2000.-Biography:Mystrom was born in Minnesota and came to Alaska in 1972. In 1975, he established Mystrom/Beck Advertising. In 1982, he received the Small Business Person of the Year...
, 21.8%
- Mark Begich, 20.4%
- Craig Campbell
Craig Eaton Campbell was the 12th Lieutenant Governor of Alaska, holding the office from August 10, 2009 through December 6 2010. Prior to that date, he was "temporary substitute" lieutenant governor for several weeks until being confirmed in the position by the State Legislature...
, 17.4%
- three other candidates, 41.4%
- Runoff
- Rick Mystrom, 58.0%
- Mark Begich, 42.0%
Anchorage Mayor, 2000
- Mark Begich, 40%
- George Wuerch
George P. Wuerch is an American politician and a member of the Republican Party. He served as mayor of Anchorage, Alaska from 2000 to 2003....
, 20%
- Jack Frost, 18%
- Bob Bell, 10%
- Dave Donley, 4%
- Pete Kott
Peter "Pete" Kott is a former Republican state representative for District 17 serving Eagle River, Alaska, in the Alaska Legislature for seven terms, from 1993 until 2007. He was Speaker of the House during his sixth term in 2003-2004...
, 4%
- Theresa Obermeyer
Theresa Nangle Obermeyer , is a former Anchorage, Alaska School board member . After two terms she lost on her bid for a third....
, 2%
- 3 others, 2%
- Runoff
- George Wuerch, 52%
- Mark Begich, 47%
Anchorage Mayor, 2003
- Mark Begich, 45%
- George Wuerch, 37%
- Rick Mystrom
Rick Mystrom is a Republican politician and businessman in Anchorage, Alaska. He was Mayor of Anchorage from 1994 to 2000.-Biography:Mystrom was born in Minnesota and came to Alaska in 1972. In 1975, he established Mystrom/Beck Advertising. In 1982, he received the Small Business Person of the Year...
, 15%
- David Dunsmore, 1%
- 7 others, 2%
U.S. Senate
Personal life
In 1990, Begich married Deborah Bonito, a former chair of the
Alaska Democratic Party-Introduction:The Alaska Democratic Party is the primary Democratic Party political organization in the state of Alaska, headquartered in Anchorage....
, and the current owner of several small businesses throughout Anchorage. The Begiches have a son, Jacob, who was born in July 2002.
External links