KENAI, Alaska — A day of campaigning on the Kenai Peninsula began for Nick Begich III and Mary Peltola under the gaze of a taxidermied brown bear.
A lunchtime forum at the Kenai Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center was just one stop in a day of campaigning for Begich and Peltola as they run to be Alaska’s next member of Congress. Begich, traveling with his wife, Dharna, and campaign manager, Truman Reed, had hours of print and radio interviews lined up. Peltola, accompanied by campaign aide Hector Jimenez, blocked time for phone calls, hoping to drum up financial support. That evening, both were featured guests at backyard fundraisers, separated by just miles along the Sterling Highway.
At the forum, they repeated well-rehearsed lines about the economy, resource development and jobs. But in separate conversations, each candidate offered deeper insight than their standard speeches about what motivates their bids.
