• Office Sought: Senator, Alaska
• Birth Date: March 31, 1962
• Residence: Anchorage, AK
• Occupation: Businessman

Mark P. Begich was born in Anchorage, Alaska in 1962. Begich is the son of Alaska's third congressman, Nick Begich, who disappeared while flying in an airplane over the Gulf of Alaska during his 1972 re-election bid. Begich was first elected to the Anchorage Assembly at age 26. He was elected three times by his colleagues as the city's second highest office, chairman. In 2003, he beat an incumbent mayor and two-term former mayor to become Anchorage's first Anchorage-born mayor. Begich was re-elected three years later by one of the largest margins in city history. As mayor, Begich focused on transforming Anchorage into a progressive, international city capitalizing on its Pacific Rim location. Begich also helped improve Anchorage's bond ratings to rank among the top 5 percent in the country and the city ranked second highest in construction value in city history On February 27, 2008 Begich held a press conference to announce that he was forming an exploratory committee to consider running against incumbent Sen. Ted Stevens. On April 21, 2008, Begich officially announced his candidacy. In 1990, he married Deborah Bonito, a former chair of the Alaska Democratic Party and the current owner of several small businesses throughout Anchorage. A son, Jacob, was born in July 2002.