Sullivan and Peltola Spar Over Salmon Protection in Alaska Senate Debate

KODIAK — Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) faced off Saturday in their first head-to-head debate for the 2026 U.S. Senate race, hosted by the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce, with Alaska's fishing industry at the center of their dispute.

Peltola criticized a potential Endangered Species Act listing for Alaska Chinook salmon, saying such a move would have cascading consequences for other fisheries. "If we preclude Alaskans from being able to harvest Chinook, that means we're precluding them from harvesting just about everything during the summer," she said, noting that Chinook swim alongside sockeyes and chums.

Sullivan attacked Peltola's record on the issue but details of his specific critiques were not immediately available from debate coverage.