“I know that I would not be in this position if we didn't have the Final Four system,” Representative Mary Peltola (D-AK) tells us in this first Purple Principle episode of season four. “Because I would not have made it through a partisan primary.” 

A native Alaskan, Representative Peltola gained re-election to the US House on the third ballot of the nation’s first Final Four election in 2022. Final Four Voting combines a unified open primary with a ranked choice general election. The intended goal is to replace the current system of polarizing party-led primaries.

Final Four Voting Across Party Lines

Peltola’s election to the US House may seem surprising from a vast, largely rural state with twice as many registered Republicans as Democrats. But the majority of Alaskan voters are registered as non-partisan or unaffiliated. 

Final Four: Lessons for the Lower 48?

Prior to US House election, Peltola was a member of the bipartisan “Bush Caucus" within the Alaska House of Representatives. Now, after moving to what feels like a foreign country, she continues to work across the aisle in Washington, DC. 

“I have had very few opportunities just to eat with Republicans and I am very eager to meet and collaborate with as many Republicans as I can,” she explains. “I'm a member of the Western Caucus, which right now is 106 Republicans and me.”

Peltola is hopeful US House polarization can be overcome yet clear-eyed about the current gridlock. “The entrenchment is so deep,” she tells us. 

Does this vast, frontier state and it's current Rep. hold lessons for our divided nation? Tune in to learn more about Mary Peltola’s bipartisan efforts in the US House and the distinctive culture of her native Alaska. 

The Purple Principle is a Fluent Knowledge production. Original music by Ryan Adair Rooney. 

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