The lead Democrat in the race for Alaska’s U.S. House seat is suspending his campaign.
Progressive Anchorage pastor Matt Schultz was aiming to run against incumbent Congressman Nick Begich, a Republican.
But he had stiff competition in his own political lane. Schultz and another challenger, independent candidate Bill Hill, vied for contributions from many of the same people.
Schultz announced his decision Friday afternoon and urged his supporters to back Hill.
He lamented that "too many institutions within the Democratic Party ecosystem" declined to meaningfully support his campaign.
"But we are living through a moment when our democracy itself is under threat, and defeating Nick Begich and restoring a Democratic majority in the House must come before any one candidate or campaign,” he said in his email announcement. “It has become clear to me in recent days that remaining in this race no longer serves that urgent purpose.”
As a candidate and a clergyman, Schultz has been a defender of civil rights for immigrants and LGBTQ+ populations, an advocate for the social safety net and a frequent speaker at Anchorage protests against President Trump.
But he had trouble gaining traction while Hill seemed to have plenty.
Hill’s campaign is managed by the Ship Creek Group, a powerhouse for left-leaning candidates. He racked up endorsement after endorsement from unions, prominent progressives and other traditional sources of Democratic support.
Schultz’s departure still leaves 14 candidates in the race. But Begich, Hill and Schultz are the only ones who have raised campaign funds. Hill has raised more than $1 million so far and Begich more than $5 million. Schultz trailed with less than $900,000.
Schultz’s name will still appear on the Aug. 18 primary ballot. It’s an open primary, with all candidates on the same ballot, regardless of party. Voters choose one, and the top four finishers advance to the general ballot, where voters have an opportunity to rank them.
The National Republican Congressional Committee had recently indicated it wanted to elevate Schultz, suggesting it considered Hill a bigger threat to Begich.
Alaska is still new at ranked choice voting. Technically, two candidates of the same political stripe would not take votes from each other on the November ballot. A voter could choose a favorite and rank the other second. The vote would count for whichever of the two proved more popular. But some voters choose not to rank, so campaigns still worry about splitting the vote between two like-minded candidates while a rival wins.
Three other registered Democrats will appear on the primary ballot for U.S. House: Eric Hafner, a federal prison inmate who has never lived in Alaska; Yaquelin
Reynoso of Lawrence, Mass., and John B. Williams of Fairbanks.
