Sen. Dan Sullivan, a dependable if considerably low-profile conservative, has gained a second time period within the US Senate. Sullivan spent t
Sen. Dan Sullivan, a dependable if considerably low-profile conservative, has gained a second time period within the US Senate. Sullivan spent the Trump presidency as a loyal Republican, voting consistent with President Trump’s place 91.5 p.c of the time, in line with FiveThirtyEight.
Which means Sullivan backed Trump’s view extra typically than high-profile conservatives like Sens. Chuck Grassley (IA), Marco Rubio (FL), and Tom Cotton (AR).
Polls confirmed a aggressive race between Sullivan and his opponent Al Gross, and this race was, in some ways, a microcosm of Alaska’s idiosyncratic politics. Gross was the Democratic Celebration’s nominee, however he identifies as an unbiased. He helps many Democratic positions, akin to increasing Obamacare and stopping overseas governments from tampering in US elections. However he additionally describes himself as a “very robust proponent of the Second Modification” and says that he helps “tight immigration coverage.”
Although Alaska is a conservative state that sometimes elects Republicans to statewide places of work, extra reasonable politicians typically rise to energy by assembling uncommon coalitions of Democrats, independents, and even the occasional Republican.
The Alaska state Home, for instance, is managed by a multiparty coalition that selected state Rep. Bryce Edgmon as speaker. Edgmon is a former Democrat who declared himself unbiased as he took over management of a coalition that features Democrats, Republicans, and independents.
Equally, in 2010, Republicans nominated Joe Miller, an unusually excessive candidate who claimed america ought to “transition out of the Social Safety association,” for america Senate — snubbing incumbent Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski within the course of. However Murkowski ran as a write-in candidate and defeated Miller.
Although Murkowski is much to the correct of any Democratic senator, she’s damaged together with her occasion on just a few key votes, together with a vote to protect Obamacare in 2017.
Finally, nevertheless, Alaska’s voters opted for the extra conservative choice as their senator. After largely siding with Trump for many of his profession within the Senate, Sullivan will get a second time period.