Alaska Sen. Begich to join Sen. Klobuchar on the Range

Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) will be on the Iron Range Friday night to appear at a fundraiser for Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota). This is Begich’s first public trip to the Range since he was elected to the Senate from his home state. He is the nephew of former State Rep. and current IRRRB board member Joe Begich (DFL-Eveleth). Mark Begich’s father, Joe’s brother Nick, was also born in Eveleth.

Nick Begich was a rising Democratic Party star poised to win his second term against a relatively unknown Republican challenger in 1972 when his plane crashed with the sitting Speaker of the House Hale Boggs on board. The plane was never found, something that seems to happen often in the last pioneer state. Mark Begich’s predecessor, the longtime Alaska Republican patriarch Sen. Ted Stevens, also died in a plane crash after losing to Begich.

Oh, man. All this seems like a downer. Enter alcohol and/or glad-handery. From 7-9 p.m. Friday at Valentini’s in Chisholm a fundraiser reception will be held for Sen. Klobuchar, who no doubt talks Range roots with Begich often on the floor. Klobuchar’s grandfather was an underground miner from Ely, where her father, the writer Jim Klobuchar, grew up.

UPDATE: Corrected to show Valentini’s as the venue, not Tom and Jerry’s.

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