STAND with Kelly and Niki Tshibaka
One grew up in Alaska; the other grew up abroad. One is a Daughter of the American Revolution and a descendant of generations of American veterans; the other, the son of an African immigrant and a descendant of Congolese chieftains. One was a government watchdog; the other, a civil rights activist. Both had parents who were homeless for a while, and both graduated from Harvard Law School.
Like you, they have suffered devastating loss and faced overwhelming challenges. Through it all, they’ve found victory over the hardships of life simply by choosing to Stand. Join Kelly, Niki, and their inspiring guests as they move beyond simply talking about issues and challenges, to exploring how to solve and overcome them. Together, we will build a movement of everyday Americans who courageously take a stand for freedom, truth, and a country led by “We the People.”
STAND with Kelly and Niki Tshibaka
The Integrity of Alaska’s Democracy: A Conversation with Lt. Governor Nancy Dahlstrom
Is Alaska's democratic integrity at risk? Join us on Stand with Kelly Nikicibaka as we welcome Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom to discuss the pivotal and controversial votes of incumbent Mary Peltola. Nancy doesn't hold back her shock and dismay over Peltola's support for counting illegal immigrants in the next census—an action that could reshape congressional representation and marginalize Alaskan voters. Nancy passionately argues that U.S. citizenship should be the bedrock of our democratic processes, not diluted by those who cross the borders illegally.
In another twist of political puzzlement, we unpack Peltola's baffling stance on a key production bill she originally sponsored, only to later ask her colleagues to vote against it and ultimately cast a "present" vote herself. Nancy provides a hard-hitting critique of this flip-flop, urging the importance of unwavering commitment to decisions that benefit Alaskans. Dive into this compelling conversation about the stakes of Alaskan representation and the challenges that lie ahead. Don't miss this eye-opening episode!
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Welcome back to Stand with Kelly Nikicibaka. We're so happy to have Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom with us to talk about the House race in Alaska. So, nancy, I wanted to chat a little bit about the challenges with our current incumbent, mary Pultola's votes and how they don't really align with what's best for Alaska. Mary Pultola's votes and how they don't really align with what's best for Alaska.
Speaker 1:One of the things I was concerned to see is Pultola voted this year to allow illegal immigrants, these millions of people who've come across the border illegally, to actually be included in the next census population count for America, which means that we would actually have redistricting across the US to allow more votes in states like New York or California that are offering sanctuary status to illegal immigrants, which would allow more votes in the US House for those states and would actually dilute the representation for Alaska. So we're still only have like one vote, but there wouldn't be 435 votes in Congress anymore. There could be like 500 representatives in Congress, so we would now be one of 500 instead of one of 435. What are your thoughts on that?
Speaker 2:Well, actually I was really, I was sad and I was angry and I was disappointed. You know, when I heard and learned about that vote, I can't even believe they're even talking about that. You know, in DC, United States citizens are who should be counted in our census and United States citizens are the ones that should be voting. In our country, Unfortunately, there are some states that are even talking about, you know, allowing illegals to vote. Well, they live here, so we might as well let them vote. It's like, wait a minute, they're illegals, they need to go Again. I was really disappointed. You know, we'll always have two senators, two per state, but, like you said, the number could go up. I mean we, we could have way more than even 500 people in there, you know, voting First of all.
Speaker 2:What a crazy zoo that would be. But it's just an illegal way to go about trying to create what they want to create, which is, you know, control. And it seems like, it just seems to me like some people are bent on destroying our country. I just don't understand the thinking of tearing things down and tearing apart what so many have fought and literally died for in our country and our constitution that the founders wrote and I believe they were inspired by God when they were writing that and we have people trying to destroy that and it's almost hard to put words at that. But you know, I'm absolutely against Mary's vote. I would have voted different on that, obviously.
Speaker 2:You know there was another vote just in the last six weeks that was really disturbing and should be to all Alaskans, and it was the vote I think the bill was called Produce Alaska and it was a bill that Peltola was one of the original sponsors on and it was about increasing the production in Alaska. And it was about increasing the production in Alaska and then, before the bill came to the floor, she sent an email out to all her Democrat colleagues saying, hey, I've learned some information that this is not, you know, good for Alaska or for the country, and so I'm asking all of you to vote no. And I know I kind of didn't, I didn't want to believe that she did that. And so the person that told me I said send it to me. And they did actually send me the tag, the email that she sent out. So I've seen it.
Speaker 2:But then, making things even worse, when she got to the floor, she voted present. I don't think that that's OK. You know, first she's for it and she's against it, and then she's present. It's like, if you're against it, I guess put your money where your mouth is and vote no. But I was really sad about that. I mean, this is her state, and to care as much about it as she says she does, I would have thought she would, you know, put her vote with something that would have benefited all Alaskans in our country. So just it's. That's been just heartening. I've been really surprised by that.
Speaker 1:Well, there's a pattern that we've seen in her votes, right where she ran a campaign, that she is a little bit of a different kind of Democrat, because she was a pro-resource development Democrat and in that way I think she got a lot of votes and support from Republicans in 2022. But then you're right that when she got to Congress, she has made a lot of flipoppy votes. So she actually did this push against this bill you're talking about, which was actually to push against all of Biden's shutdown and restrictions on Alaska. He's had more than 60 administrative actions and orders to shut down resource production in Alaska and this bill was actually brought by someone not in Alaska to push back on Biden. But then there have been other bills too, like she actually wrote a bill to support and champion preemptive vetoes by the federal government against resource production in Alaska.
Speaker 1:So there's now, you know, an effort by our representative to say it's okay to not consider Alaska voices, to not consider Alaska data, to not consider the input of Alaska Natives in the region where you would be looking at Alaska resource development, and instead we're just going to let a bunch of bureaucrats in the Beltway, 4,000 miles away make decisions that preemptively shut down Alaska resource development without any consideration of Alaskans and what we think, when we actually know best about what to do with Alaska resource development, whether that's mining or fishing, or oil or gas or whatever.
Speaker 1:I think that's really scary when we start ceding the power and the knowledge and the voices of Alaskans to the people in DC. So she does a lot of this and she flip-flopped what she wanted to do on Donland Mine. She was for it, then she's against it. She flip-flopped on her position on the Ambler Road and then she's got these votes, like you say, where she votes present or she happens to step out and go to the bathroom. So there's not really a record on where our pro-resource development representative actually stands on resource development in Alaska.
Speaker 2:Right, you know, and the voting there. Only it isn't just a few minutes. There's plenty of time to go to the bathroom and come back.
Speaker 2:So, you know that's kind of a good one, but I've been disappointed by that and the changes. I mean, and I'm going to, for the record, I'll tell everybody I am supportive of Ambler Road and you know, as far as our mining, our entire country needs our mines to be open and we in Alaska have proven that we can do a lot of things and we still have respect for the land and we honor the cultural values and different things in our state while we continue to grow and produce our resources. The country needs our resources and you know, give minds the opportunity to at least go through the process of permitting. You know, when Biden comes along and says, nope, nope, we're going to just shut this down, no, you can't even try. Give them, just like all businesses, if you want to do this, give them the opportunity to get a permit or a license. If there's something not right, give them the opportunity to fix it, make it correct, and it will just continue through the process. But just saying, you know, will it really? No, that is not the American way and it's certainly not in America's best interest.
Speaker 2:You know, even you know, on the bill that she voted present on, I will tell you, thank goodness for Representative Stauber from Minnesota, because on the Resources Committee Mary didn't even stand up and defend our state in that committee. It took Representative Stauber to, you know, to stand up and speak for Alaska and defend us and what we needed and what we needed. And you know I took the opportunity to write to him and also to call him and thank him so much for standing up and asking him to continue doing that until I can get there, you know, to be helpful. But it was sad and it was maddening at the same time.
Speaker 1:Absolutely Well. Speaking of sad and maddening, Nikki pointed out to me before we did our interview that it is sad and maddening that the same people huge donors across the US that are supporting the anti-Semitic protests on campuses and across the world, are some of the largest donors supporting Mary Potola's campaign, and we haven't heard a peep out of her condemning the anti-Semitic sentiment and treatment of Jews across our country and across the world.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, that is another point of concern, nancy, we're coming up on the end of the show here, but we want to give you some time to address the voters here in Alaska and potential donors down in the lower 48. What's your in these last two minutes that we have? What's your message to the voters and to potential donors?
Speaker 2:Well, thank you, you know. I want to start by saying and following on what you just said, kelly. I stand with Israel and I always will stand with Israel. I have spoken publicly about it, I have written about it. I stand with Israel and what happened on October 7th was horrendous. Israel has every right to defend themselves against Hamas and I am angered that President Biden is being so wishy-washy about it with the situation and what he is doing.
Speaker 2:But I'm running to defeat Mary Paltola and to return a conservative Republican to the United States Congress to represent us. Don Young did a fantastic job doing that for 49, almost 50 years and I am going back to continue fighting so many of the fights that he started. I'm confident that I'm going to win this race. I have the backing of many prominent Alaskans. I'm grateful that Governor Dunleavy has endorsed me. I'm also grateful that Ann Young, the widow of Don Young, has endorsed me and has said that I'm the one person that she knows Don would have approved to take this seat. I'm grateful for the help that I've received from the good conservatives in Congress who know how important Alaska is and they know the damage that's been done to our state, but to all of America by Joe Biden.
Speaker 2:We're kind of in shambles right now. Our economy is in shambles, our border is wide open, the fentanyl that we've talked about is out of control, people are dying right and left, and young children are being there. They're trying to bully them into thinking that it's OK to identify as whatever they want to identify as, and they're putting these crazy ideas into their head about sexuality and different things, and it's not OK. That is not OK and I will always stand up against those things. Not okay and I will always stand up against those things.
Speaker 2:Those are our adversaries and they've been emboldened by what Biden and his friends have been doing and allowing in our country. But it's got to stop and I'm one of the people that's going to fight it and we're going to turn this around. What's been happening is not okay. We need to get back to what we know is right and treating Americans the way we know we should. We should treat each other and act, and also letting people know and reinforcing that we are the greatest country on the face of this earth and we remember our allies. We stand with our allies. We remember them. America is the greatest country.
Speaker 3:All right.
Speaker 1:Nancy, where can people donate to your campaign?
Speaker 2:Oh, I would love it if people would donate to me. They can reach me at nancyforalaskacom. They can also send me emails through that site to nancyforalaskacom.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much, nancy. That wraps it up for us. At Stand, you've been with Kelly Nikitjivaka and we've had Nancy Dahlstrom on our show talking about the US house race in Alaska. Can't wait to see you for another exciting episode for Stand. Next time we're at standshoworg, and this has been a time when we've made courage contagious. We'll see you next time we're at standshoworg, and this has been a time when we've made courage contagious. We'll see you next time.
