A thank-you to Randy Ruedrich for his April 11 commentary, “Which U.S. House candidate will be most effective?” The clear answer to this question is our current Congresswomen, Mary Sattler Peltola. As Mr. Ruedrich stated, congressional seniority is the key toward advancing Alaska’s goals. At 50 years old, she meets the age requirement he sees as important for a future leadership position. She has already served three years in Congress and her reelection will provide five years of service, a strong head start toward the eight years Mr. Ruedrich referenced as the needed longevity for a Commitee Chair, and congressional leadership.
With a razor-thin majority in Congress, we are likely to see Congress return to a Democratic majority sooner than later. Like Congressman Don Young, Peltola will be well-positioned to chair major committees in the future and provide Alaska with strong leadership in Congress.
She has tremendous bipartisan admiration for her balanced service and works very well with both our U.S. senators. Her Alaska Native heritage brings the knowledge and understanding Alaska needs to advance its diverse legislative goals for future growth and prosperity.
Why go backwards? We already have a member of Congress who will continue to serve our state with the highest level of dignity and respect. She will unquestionably be the candidate who will be the most effective for all Alaskans, and we should be honored to have her continued service for many years to come. She certainly has my vote, and according to Mr. Ruedrich’s reasoning, she should have yours as well.
— Lloyd H. Stiassny
Anchorage
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