Alaska Sen. Begich pressures national Dems to invest in the Senate race

Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) said Thursday he is pressuring national Democrats to take on Tea Party-backed Joe Miller (R) and invest in the state’s Senate race.

Begich, who will soon be the state’s senior senator, said he is working to drum up support and national party backing for Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams (D) who will face Miller in November. 

“I’m putting the pressure on,” Begich told The Hill. “We’re working the DSCC and others right now because I think it’s a good investment.”

At this point, it’s unclear what resources the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee will commit to the race. But on Wednesday, McAdams said he wasn’t waiting on any help. 

“The DSCC and the national Democratic Party doesn’t even know my name,” McAdams told an Alaska radio station Wednesday. “And that’s fine by me. I love the Alaskan Democratic Party, they’ve been behind me 100 percent, Sen. Mark Begich has been behind me 100 percent, and that’s just fine by me.”

Begich, the first term Alaska senator who defeated the late Sen. Ted Stevens (R) by a razor-thin margin in 2008, said Thursday the national support for McAdams is building. 

Despite his lack of experience on the campaign stage, Begich said Alaska Democrats have confidence in McAdams, calling him “authentic” and talking up his executive experience “cutting and balancing budgets.” Begich said there was no chance Democrats would try to replace McAdams as the nominee. 

Begich also slammed Miller, noting he isn’t much better known throughout the state than McAdams.

“People are asking, ‘Who is Scott McAdams?’ Well, who was Joe Miller three months ago?” said Begich. 

Miller defeated Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) in the Republican Senate primary. He leads McAdams in early polling.