Mary Peltola to challenge Dan Sullivan in Alaska Senate race

Former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola announced she will run against incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan in this year's midterm elections, citing high living costs and declines in subsistence resources for rural Alaskans. Alaska uses open primaries and ranked-choice voting; the top four finishers in the August primary advance to the November general election.

Mary Peltola announced Monday that she will challenge incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan in this year’s midterm elections. Peltola is a Democrat and a former U.S. representative who was the first Alaska Native to serve in Congress. In her announcement she highlighted rising costs and changes to local subsistence resources as central concerns. Sullivan is the Republican incumbent and has emphasized his record on military and resource development issues. Key facts: - Mary Peltola, a Democrat and former U.S. representative, announced a campaign to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. - Peltola is the first Alaska Native to have served in Congress and served in the House after winning elections in 2022; she lost reelection in 2024. - In her announcement she raised local issues, including high grocery and transportation costs and declines in subsistence fish and bird resources that affect rural communities. - Alaska holds open primaries and uses ranked-choice voting in the general election; the top four vote-getters in the August primary advance to the November general election. Summary: This campaign announcement sets up a Senate contest between Peltola and the incumbent, with both sides issuing statements about their records and priorities. The next scheduled procedural milestone is the August primary, where the top four finishers across all parties will move on to the November general election.