Put Alaska First PAC

Background

Put Alaska First was a super PAC that supported the unsuccessful re-election campaign of then-U.S. Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK) in 2014. ¹ The organization no longer appears to be active. ¹

Veteran Alaska political consultant Jim Lottsfeldt ran Put Alaska First and was its treasurer. ^{1  2}

The organization raised more than $10 million in the 2014 election cycle. ³

Funding

Put Alaska First mostly operated in the 2014 election cycle, in which the group raised $10,553,840 and spent $10,515,159. It ended with $11,692 cash on hand. ³

The organization was only nominally functioning in the 2016 election cycle when it raised $14,855, spent $54,308, and ended the year with $39,454 cash on hand. The organization did not raise or spend money in subsequent years, according to Open Secrets. ⁴

According to reporting during the year, Put Alaska First received 86 percent of its funding from the Senate Majority PAC, a super PAC affiliated with the leadership of the Senate Democratic Caucus ^{5  6} which was created to protect and expand the number of Democrats in the U.S. Senate.  ⁵

Hillside Jetty Pelagic LLC contributed $100,000 to Put Alaska First in the 2014 election cycle.  ⁴

San Pablo Lytton Casino donated $57,500 to Put Alaska First in the 2014 election cycle.  ⁴

Bristol Bay Native Corp gave $50,000 to Put Alaska First in the 2014 election cycle.  ⁴

The Puyallup Tribe of Indians donated $50,000 to Put Alaska First in the 2014 election cycle.  ⁴

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Put Alaska First ads included a positive spot in 2014 that showed an Alaska woman claiming the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) allowed her to receive cancer treatment and urged Alaskans to thank then-U.S. Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK) for voting for Obamacare. The ad reportedly cost about $200,000. Put Alaska First founder Jim Lottsfeldt reportedly knew the woman in the ad, Lisa Keller, and asked her to do the ad. Former Obama White House adviser David Axelrod promoted the ad on Twitter for national consumption.  ⁷

During the 2014 election cycle, Put Alaska First spent $360,934 to support then-Sen. Begich. The super PAC spent $9,555,605 in opposition to Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan, $228,370 against Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mead Treadwell, and $12,426 against Republican Senate candidate Joe Miller. ⁸

The group targeted Dan Sullivan during the Alaska Senate Republican primary, perceiving him as a stronger general election opponent and reportedly trying to help GOP primary contender Joe Miller, whom Democrats reportedly perceived as being an easier opponent for Sen. Begich. ^{9  10} The organization continued with attack ads in the general election against Sullivan, who ultimately won the 2014 election. ¹¹