I met with Mayor Begich last night in Washington, DC and was very impressed with his wit, intelligence and commitment to bring reform and an energy expertise to the U.S. Senate. He acknowledged how pleased his dad was with all the support he received from Croatian Americans when he was starting his first campaign and did get elected to the U.S. Congress in 1970. It's our time now to help elect for the first time ever - a Croatian American in the U.S. Senate |
Dear Fellow Croatian Americans: Croatian American Mark Begich needs our help -- he's in a tight race with scandal-ridden incumbent Senator Ted Stevens in the U.S. Senate race in Alaska. Yes, this is the son of former Congressmen Nick Begich from Alaska who died in the tragic plane crash with Hal Boggs way back when ... I met with Mayor Begich last night, September 24th 2008, in Washington, DC and was very impressed with his wit, intelligence and commitment to bring reform and an energy expertise to the U.S. Senate. He acknowledged how pleased his dad was with all the support he received from Croatian Americans when he was starting his first campaign and did get elected to the U.S. Congress in 1970. It's our time now to help elect for the first time ever -- a Croatian-American in the U.S. Senate -- please consider sending a check to: Alaskans For Begich, P.O. Box 240287, Anchorage, Alaska 99503 or online at http://www.begich.com/contribute. A little bit goes a long way in Alaska where ad rates are lower than in major American cities. Let me know if you are willing lend any support his way in any form or fashion -- and any amount will make a difference with Mark's campaign. Please consider sending a check for $50, $100 or $250 today -- his campaign must make key budget decisions over the next two weeks ... Drop me a note and let me know if you're willing to do more ... Velika hvala i sve najbolje, Steve Rukavina 251 South 24th Street, Unit F Philadelphia, PA 19103 ruksj@aol.com P.S. Checks need to be written out to: Alaskans For Begich Check out his campaign direct: https://donate.begich.com/winningtogether P.S.S. Please read Mark's letter below about his race and situation ... SR Nick Begich Story: The son of Croatian immigrants, Nick Begich was born and raised in Eveleth, Minnesota. He attended Saint Cloud State University and the University of Minnesota before pursuing his doctorate at the University of Colorado and the University of North Dakota. In 1970, Begich was elected to Alaska's at-large seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, defeating Republican banker Frank Murkowski (later a U.S. Senator and eventually Governor of Alaska). In 1972, he faced the Republican state senator Don Young. On October 16, 1972, he was aboard a twin engine Cessna 310 along with Congressman Hale Boggs of Louisiana when the plane disappeared during a flight from Anchorage to Juneau. The only others on board were Begich's aide, Russell Brown, and the pilot, Don Jonz; the four were heading to a campaign fundraiser for Begich. In an enormous search effort, Coast Guard, Navy, and Air Force planes searched for the party. On November 24, 1972, after thirty-nine days, the search was abandoned. Neither the wreckage of the plane nor the pilot's and passengers' remains were ever found. All were presumed dead on December 29, 1972. The accident prompted Congress to pass a ! law mandating emergency locator transmitters in all U.S. civil aircraft. Posthumously, Begich won the 1972 election with 56% to Don Young's 44%. However, after Begich's declared death, a special election was called which was won by Young. Nick Begich had six children, named Mark, Nichelle, Tom, Stephanie, Paul, and Nick. His son Mark Begich is the current mayor of Anchorage, Alaska and a candidate for the US Senate. Nick Begich's widow, Pegge Begich, ran for the U. S. House seat in 1984 and 1986, but was defeated. Contributions can be made to: Alaskans for Begich From: Mark Begich To: Steven Rukavina Sent: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 8:30 am Subject: Winning Against Ted Stevens Dear Steven, When you're running against a forty-year incumbent, you know the campaign is going to have a lot to do with what the people of your state are thinking about the future. Everywhere I go, people say they're ready for change. The contrast between my vision for Alaska's future and Senator Stevens' could not be more stark. Sen. Stevens corruption trial continues to move forward following hearings in federal court this week. He suffered a blow when five motions to dismiss were rejected by the judge. All eyes will be on Alaska as we try to decide as a state what we want to be known for: scandal or honest government? More of the same or a new generation of leadership? As I look back to last month's primary results, I think the message is clear: Alaskans are ready for change. While I received 91% of the Democratic vote, Sen. Stevens only earned 63% of the Republican ballot, losing 38,000 votes to his Republican competitors. Looking to the Congressional race, we see incumbent Don Young barely holding on to a slim lead over his primary challenger. Massive change is afoot in the Last Frontier and this is a strong sign for electoral success in November. I can't earn a seat in the US Senate without your help. Please make a contribution today and help me bring my message of change and accountability to voters in Alaska. https://donate.begich.com/winningtogether We can win this together. Mark Begich |
October 27th, 2008 Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens was convicted of seven corruption charges Monday in a trial that threatened to end the 40-year career of Alaska's political patriarch in disgrace. The verdict, coming barely a week before Election Day, increased Stevens' difficulty in winning what already was a difficult race against Democratic challenger Mark Begich. Democrats hope to seize the once reliably Republican seat as part of their bid for a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. |