With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

On Capitol Hill, a Family Business Thrives

When Alaska’s two senators take their seats in the new Congress next month, there may be something familiar about the pair to longtime followers of politics in that state.

Senator Lisa Murkowski and her soon-to-be colleague, Mayor Mark Begich of Anchorage, are the daughter and son of two Alaskans who squared off in the 1970 race for the state’s sole House seat. Nick Begich ended up beating Frank H. Murkowski 38 years ago.

“It just kind of speaks to the small-town politics in place in Alaska,” Ms. Murkowski said.

The Murkowski-Begich legacy, combined with the current fascination with the possibility of Caroline Kennedy joining the Senate from New York, puts a spotlight on the blood ties that course through the House and Senate chambers.
Read entire article at NYT