It’s been nearly a quarter century since Alaskans elected a Democrat to serve as governor, the last being Tony Knowles (1994-2002).
Hard-left Democrat Tom Begich is attempting to buck that tide. If he’s successful, Alaska would have arguably the most extreme pro-abortion, LGBTQ activist to ever sit in the governor’s mansion.
Knowles was definitely a party-line pro-abortion politician, but he never made that issue a major selling point, opting instead to maintain the status quo. On LGBTQ issues, however, he is best remembered for declining to veto a 1996 legislative ban on same-sex marriage.
Alaska’s other three Democratic governors – William Egan, Bill Sheffield and Steve Cowper – were all far less engaged in militating hard left cultural change than is Begich.
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Egan (1959-66 and 1970-74) was a culturally conservative Democrat, whose abortion record is best remembered by his failure to try and overturn a 1970 law that legalized abortion in Alaska. Sheffield (1982-86) and Cowper (1986-90) were status quo Democrats when it came to abortion, and neither man ever pushed the LGBTQ agenda, which was largely out of the public eye during their careers.
Tom Begich, on the other hand, intentionally shows up for photo ops at homosexual and transgender parades and festivals, courts the Big Abortion lobby, actively opposes efforts to keep gender-confused transgender males from competing in girls’ sports and has spearheaded legislation that sought to empower the state to force business owners, churches and others to violate their deeply held convictions when it comes to promotion and celebration of LGBTQ ideology in the public square.
While Democrats in the State Legislature have long pushed for expanded abortion rights and a litany of LGBTQ laws aimed at advancing their agenda in schools, businesses and elsewhere, these efforts have largely been checked by a string of Republican governors for the past 24 years.
If Tom Begich can advance through the August primary and ultimately win the general election in November, this bulwark against Alaska’s Democrat-controlled State House and Senate will evaporate, thereby paving the way for hard-left lawmakers to flood Begich’s desk with highly controversial bills for his signature.
Groups like Planned Parenthood understand the stakes and have lined up behind Tom Begich.
Morgan Kim, who serves as Alaska Director of Planned Parenthood Alliance, has hailed Begich as “a proven champion” of the LGBTQ agenda.
In an Aug. 4 email to supporters, Kim urged Alaskans to vote for Begich based on his “proven” history of fighting to keep gender-confused males in girls’ sports and pushing legislation that would force businesses and churches to offer their services and properties for the celebration and promotion of LGBTQ causes.
“Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates – Alaska is proud to endorse Tom Begich, who has consistently advocated for LGBTQ2S+ Alaskans in the Alaska Legislature,” Morgan boasted. “Tom Begich is exactly the leader Alaska needs.”
TAKING ACTION
— Early voting for the Aug. 18 primary has already begun. Click here for details on how, when and where to vote.


