ANCHORAGE
Former Representative Mary Peltola, a Democrat, released a campaign advertisement distancing herself from the Democratic Party as she challenges incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan in Alaska.
In the ad, Peltola tells voters to "forget party, forget politics" and declares "With me, Alaska comes first." She highlights her A rating from the National Rifle Association and says she "took on Joe Biden to secure the border and push through Alaska's largest oil project in decades."
The ad also features Peltola stating, "It's why I've got no tolerance for any politician who uses their office to get rich."
Alaska has backed President Donald Trump in each of his three presidential elections. Peltola lost the at-large House seat to Republican Nick Begich last year, and the state has elected only one Democrat to the Senate in the past 50 years.
Yet the Cook Political Report rates this year's Senate race a "toss-up," noting Peltola is "well-positioned." An AARP poll by Fabrizio Ward and Impact Research showed Peltola with 46 percent support to Sullivan's 41 percent, with 7 percent undecided.
Peltola built support by opposing large-scale trawling, identified as a key driver of declining salmon, crab, and halibut stocks across Alaska.
In September, scrutiny surrounded Peltola after a report detailed allegations of "profane outbursts and displays of anger" in her campaign and former congressional office. Several former aides, requesting anonymity, provided accounts to the reporting outlet.
Peltola's campaign denied the allegations about workplace conduct but acknowledged she "sometimes struggled to deal with her grief after the 2023 deaths of her mother and husband." The campaign told the New York Times that Peltola had used an ableist slur and expressed regret, while denying she had used a homophobic slur.
