Articles written by Iris Samuels


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  • Alaska's U.S. House race close as early votes roll in

    Iris Samuels, Anchorage Daily News|Nov 7, 2024

    Republican challenger Nick Begich III was ahead of Democratic incumbent Rep. Mary Peltola in Alaska's U.S. House race with more than 90% of precincts reporting early Wednesday morning. The final result likely won't be known until Nov. 20, when Alaska's election workers are set to tabulate results in the ranked-choice election. Statewide, Begich had 49.66% of the over 255,000 votes counted as of Wednesday morning. Peltola had 45.27%. If the top vote-getter does not receive over 50% of the vote,...

  • Peltola stresses bipartisanship while Begich attacks Biden administration

    Iris Samuels, Anchorage Daily News|Oct 31, 2024

    The differences between Democratic incumbent Rep. Mary Peltola and her Republican challenger Nick Begich were on full display last Monday during the final planned debate of Alaska’s U.S. House race. Begich, a businessman who lost twice to Peltola in 2022, is again vying for Alaska’s lone U.S. House seat against Peltola, a former state lawmaker who won the seat in 2022 after leading for several years an intertribal fish commission. The outcome of the race could have far-reaching impacts in determining control of a closely divided chamber, dra...

  • Alaska Legislature called into special session after House adjourns without final budget vote

    Iris Samuels and Sean Maguire, Anchorage Daily News|May 18, 2023

    JUNEAU — The Alaska Legislature is set to start a special session Thursday morning after failing to reach agreement on state budget by the midnight deadline on Wednesday that marked the end of the annual regular session. The House adjourned Wednesday at 9 p.m. without taking a vote on passing a budget, three hours after the Senate sent them their take-it-or-leave it spending plan. The decision by the Republican-dominated House majority led Gov. Mike Dunleavy to call for a 30-day special session to continue budget talks. That session is set t...

  • Gov. Dunleavy announces Alaska child care task force but declines to support immediate funding boost

    Iris Samuels, Anchorage Daily News|Apr 13, 2023

    Gov. Mike Dunleavy said he does not support a request to add millions of dollars to the state budget to help child care providers, instead announcing the formation of a task force to examine the issue and provide policy recommendations by the end of the year. Child care, expensive and in short supply in Alaska, has benefited from more than $50 million in federal pandemic aid paid as grants to providers since 2020. With the end of federal funding, child care advocates have asked legislators to add $15 million to the state budget to boost...

  • Complaint alleges Dunleavy campaign engaged in 'scheme' to use public funds

    Iris Samuels, Anchorage Daily News|Sep 8, 2022

    A complaint filed Tuesday to the Alaska Public Offices Commission accuses Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who is running for reelection, of engaging in a “scheme to subsidize and coordinate” the activities between his official campaign and an independent expenditure group working on his reelection, and scheming “to improperly subsidize his campaign with public resources.” The complaint asserts that Dunleavy’s campaign spent a “laughable” sum on staffing while key positions were filled on a “volunteer” basis by people paid tens of thousands of d...