Current Affairs Of Pakistan & World: Independent streak

Independent streak

Oct 20, 2026

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THE CATCH-UP

Alaska Republican U.S. Rep. Nick Begich, left, and independent Bill Hill are pictured ahead of a U.S. House debate on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)

Alaska Republican U.S. Rep. Nick Begich, left, and independent Bill Hill are pictured ahead of a U.S. House debate on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, in Anchorage, Alaska. | AP Photo/Becky Bohrer

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — National Democrats are lining up behind Bill Hill, a fisherman and educator they hope can oust GOP Rep. Nick Begich from Alaska’s sole congressional district in November.

He’s doing his best not to associate with the party.

Hill, who’s running as an independent, has built his campaign around rejecting both parties and has repeatedly declined to say which he would caucus with in Washington. He’s part of a group of candidates this cycle backed by Democrats but running as independents in historically red areas — a trend that underscores the party’s enduring unpopularity in places President Donald Trump won in 2024, even as the political tides have shifted against Republicans.

“We represent all Alaskans across the political spectrum, and I’m hopeful we can build a coalition that can beat Nick Begich,” Hill told Playbook last week, asked if the Democratic Party label was a liability in Alaska, which Trump won by 13 points two years ago. “Alaska is tough to fit in a neat little political box,” he added. “Sixty percent of us do not identify with either the Republican or the Democratic Party, and I truly want to represent that in Congress.”

Hill told Playbook he would be a fierce advocate for gun rights in Congress — bucking traditional Democratic dogma — and work with Republicans to develop Alaska’s oil and gas industry. Would he commit to caucusing with one of the parties? “I'm committing to the Alaskan people that I will work with the people that are going to bring wins for Alaskans, and I'll work against people that are hurting Alaskans,” Hill said.

Every independent federal lawmaker currently caucuses with one of the parties: Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine caucus with Democrats, and Rep. Kevin Kiley of California with Republicans. Not caucusing with either party would likely create issues with receiving committee assignments, but Hill said he was “absolutely not” concerned about that.

Hill is not alone. Democrats are backing independents in three Senate races this cycle: Dan Osborn in Nebraska (which Trump won by 20 points in 2024), Todd Achilles in Idaho (Trump +36) and Brian Bengs in South Dakota (Trump +30). In Montana (Trump +20), the state’s Democratic Party chair resigned from the role last week to endorse independent Seth Bodnar for Senate over Alani Bankhead, the Democratic nominee.

The pattern indicates that even as Democrats have expanded their map this year, they acknowledge in a handful of cases their best chance of beating Republicans on their home turf is to run candidates who eschew both party labels. Nationwide, Americans are more likely to view the Democratic Party favorably than the Republican Party, but at 43% and 35%, respectfully, both remain largely unpopular, according to a Gallup poll released last week.

Complicating Hill’s bid is the Democrat on the ballot: Eric Hafner, who advanced to the general election despite having no clear ties to Alaska and currently serving a jail sentence in New York. Public polls generally show Begich winning by a comfortable margin, but Democrats in the state are pinning their hopes on more polling slips.

“We’ve seen independents overperform prodigiously in Alaska when running head to head against a Republican,” said John-Henry Heckendorn, a Democratic strategist in Anchorage. “I think the fact that he doesn't have a ‘D’ next to his name on the ballot will net him more votes from center-right voters.”

A representative for Begich did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

But Begich has sought to tear down Hill’s independent label, casting him not just as a Democrat but a member of the party’s far-left flank who has donated to Democratic leaders, including Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Kamala Harris.

“The truth of the matter is, you’re not independent,” Begich told Hill during a debate last week. “You’re aligned with socialist Democrats, and you’re too progressive for Alaska.”

Hill admitted he had “made some donations to people that I don't fully agree with.”

NOW READ THIS: “Two Dans, four choices, one big headache for GOP in Alaska Senate race,” by POLITICO’s Lisa Kashinsky and Irie: “Some GOP operatives fear [GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan] will lose first-choice votes to retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan Jr. — and that supporters of his longshot rival might not rank the incumbent at all in the state’s unusual election system where voters can pick backup options that get counted if no candidate clears 50% of the initial vote. Two recent polls that simulated ranked-choice tabulations showed [Democrat Mary] Peltola as the victor.”

Good Tuesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at isentner@politico.com.

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7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

1. POLL POSITION: The latest POLITICO Poll shows that Americans are fed up with data centers and Big Tech, and Republicans are poised to take more of the political blame on Election Day, POLITICO’s Bernie Becker reports. The poll found that Americans were far more likely to associate the GOP with giving tax incentives to tech companies at a time when the public’s concerns about AI and data center sprawl are only deepening. Nearly half of respondents — 47% — called Republicans the party of tech tax breaks, more than double the 21% who said the same for Democrats. Voters are also far more likely to want candidates who propose stripping away tax incentives for the data centers needed to fuel the AI boom.

2. CASH SPLASH: The late-stage Michael Bloomberg money bomb has arrived. The billionaire spent $80 million in September and October supporting Democrats in the midterms, NYT’s Theodore Schleifer and Benjamin Oreskes report. At least $50 million is going toward House races, including $24 million to Everytown for Gun Safety and $16 million to House Majority PAC. A Bloomberg aide told the Times he was committed to ensuring a governable Democratic majority in the House.

3. SHOW ME THE MONEY: The RNC is pumping more than $50 million into the NRSC and NRCC in yet another example of the party’s significant cash advantage over Democrats, NYT’s Teddy Schleifer reports. “The R.N.C. told The Times that it had transferred more than $44 million between mid-August and mid-October to the party’s main House and Senate committees. Many of those transfers will be disclosed for the first time in a campaign-finance filing on Tuesday evening.” The infusion is larger than the RNC has done in previous cycles.

A message from OpenAI:

4. CASH COW: Democrats are centering oversight and accountability for the Trump administration in their midterm messaging — and it’s helping them rake in the dough, The Washington Sun’s Stephen Neukam reports. But the fundraising tactic is raising ethical questions and could even run afoul of the House Ethics Manual. “The House Ethics Committee declined to explain how it interprets or enforces congressional rules prohibiting lawmakers from linking campaign contribution solicitations to official actions,” per the Sun.

5. QUEEN OF THE HILL: Katie Bailey, Trump’s new Legislative Affairs director, is jumping into her role as the lead liaison between the White House and Congress ahead of a high-stakes lame duck session for Republicans — and a potentially divided government beyond that, POLITICO’s Mia McCarthy reports. James Braid, who previously held the job before announcing his departure in August, said in an interview that Bailey is up for that task. One Republican who previously worked with Bailey said she’s “used to dealing and building consensus with her previous jobs” and her experience on House Oversight and the Senate Homeland’s permanent select subcommittee on Investigations could be a boost too.

6. DEEP STATE: “U.S. officials privately advise states fearing Trump election meddling,” by WaPo’s Noah Robertson: “Over the past several months, [a small group of U.S. national security officials] has consulted with officials from 10 states, including governors, election officials and members of the House and Senate from both political parties who share a fear of federal intervention, two people involved in the effort said.”

7. BUBBLING ISSUE: “Inside the GOP’s next battle over women’s sports,” by POLITICO’s Bianca Quilantan: “Republicans found years of political success uniting against transgender athletes, a push that helped them energize voters in a range of elections and divide Democrats. But the movement is now fraying after two influential conservative organizations, including The Heritage Foundation, started openly attacking bedrock anti-sex discrimination policy that’s fueled women’s sports for decades.”

TALK OF THE TOWN

SIGN OF THE TIMES — President Donald Trump has called the affordability crisis a “hoax” — but inflation has hit his merch store, The Washington’s Nicole Belcastro reports. MAGA hats are selling for $55, a 120% increase from Trump’s first presidential campaign in 2015. His “Victory 47” perfume, which debuted in February 2024 for $99, now costs $249.

IN THE OPEN — The Smithsonian is preparing to display for the first time the F-117 Nighthawk, the first operational stealth aircraft, WaPo’s Michael Ruane reports. It’s scheduled to open to the public Wednesday at the National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center, near Dulles.

TRANSITIONS — Alyssa Innis has joined McUlsky Health Force as director of public policy and stakeholder relations. She most recently served as policy director at the Women’s Congressional Policy Institute. Former U.S. Assistant Chief Immigration Judge David Cheng has joined Gendelberg Law as a full-time immigration attorney in New York. Cheng had previously been an immigration judge at the Newark Immigration Court, and later an assistant chief immigration judge.

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