Mary Peltola

Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate in Alaska. Every point on this page links to its source. We don't grade candidates or tell you how to vote. As of 2026-09-28.

At a glance

PartyDemocrat
Running forU.S. Senate, Alaska
Born1973
EducationUniversity of Alaska Southeast; University of Alaska Anchorage; University of Alaska Fairbanks; University of Northern Colorado; Poudre High School
Occupationjudge, politician

Source: Wikidata

Record

U.S. Representative, Alaska's at-large district2022–2025Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
Accurate?

Full official biography, including earlier offices (Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress)

In Congress: 36 bills and resolutions sponsored, 348 cosponsored, 0 became law on their own (a bill folded into a larger law isn't counted). Congress.gov

Where they stand

In their own words, from their campaign website, summarised in plain English.

Economy and cost of living

Peltola says she will fight rising costs for groceries, energy, and housing, work to ban corporate price gouging, block anti-competitive grocery mergers, require large grocery chains to disclose pricing and profit information, and push for wage increases through tax incentives for companies that pay fair wages.

“Alaskans are being crushed by skyrocketing costs – but I will stand up to anyone to put Alaska first and fight for lower costs.”
Accurate?

Taxes and government spending

Peltola says she wants to eliminate federal income tax for working and middle-class Alaskans earning less than $92,000 a year, paid for by raising taxes on millionaires and billionaires, and expand the Child Tax Credit to $3,600 per child under six and $3,000 for children 6-17.

“cut taxes for more than half of hardworking Alaskans”
Accurate?

Health care

No stated position on their website.

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Social Security and Medicare

Peltola says she will work to eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits for Alaska's roughly 95,000 seniors.

“eliminate taxes on Social Security”
Accurate?

Immigration and the border

Peltola says she supports additional taxes on non-resident foreign purchases of residential real estate to keep housing affordable for Alaskans.

“additional taxes on non-resident foreign purchases of residential real estate”
Accurate?

Abortion

No stated position on their website.

Accurate?

Energy and climate

Peltola says she wants to refine more Alaska oil in-state to lower fuel costs and support military readiness, push tax credits for refinery investment, pursue permitting reform for Alaska energy projects, restore federal tax credits for solar, wind, and hydropower, and seek federal funding to diversify energy sources for Alaska's Railbelt.

“refining more of our oil here in Alaska”
Accurate?

Guns

No stated position on their website.

Accurate?

Foreign policy and defense

Peltola says she will fight to protect and expand the Overseas Cost of Living Allowance so servicemembers and their families can afford to live in Alaska while serving.

“protect and expand the Overseas Cost of Living Allowance”
Accurate?

Elections and ethics in government

Peltola says Washington's system is rigged, with politicians working together mainly to help themselves, and that her past delegation stood up to their own parties to put Alaska first rather than following partisan pressure and out-of-state interests.

“When they actually work together on something, it’s usually to help themselves.”
Accurate?

Money

From FEC filings for 2025–26. Outside spending is money a group spends on its own about a candidate — TV and online ads, mail, canvassing. It is not a donation to the campaign, and the candidate does not control it. Supporting means it was spent to help that candidate win; Opposing means it was spent to defeat them, usually on attack ads. Groups report it within 24 or 48 hours as the election nears. Raised is the campaign's own fundraising, as of its latest quarterly report. Largest donors come from each outside spender's own FEC receipts, with each donor's share of its itemized receipts; donors under $100,000 are not named. People are shown with the employer and occupation they reported. A donor that is itself a political committee is shown with its own largest donors. Companies and nonprofits don't report their funders to the FEC, so the trail ends there, and the page says so.

Mary Peltola (DEM)

Raised
$18.5M through 2026-07-29 individuals $16.3M · PACs $602K · party $1,500 · from the candidate's other committees $1.6M · cash on hand $4.6M
Outside spending
$17.8M opposing Peltola · $2.8M supporting Peltola · latest reported 2026-09-25
Largest outside spenders
SLF PAC — $8.1M opposing Peltola · 19 ads on this pageLargest donors: ONE NATION $70.7M (28%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC); Miriam Adelson $30.0M (12%), Adelson Drug Clinic, Physician; Stephen A Schwarzman $17.0M (7%), Blackstone, Chairman & CEO; Paul Elliott Singer $14.5M (6%), EMC, President; Elon Musk $10.0M (4%), Space Exploration Technologies Corp., CEO LAST FRONTIER PAC — $6.2M opposing Peltola · 3 ads on this pageLargest donors: Kenneth C Griffin $2.5M (36%), Citadel Investment Group, Chief Executive Officer; RESTORATION OF AMERICA PAC $2.0M (28%); Paul Elliott Singer $500K (7%), EMC, President; CONOCOPHILLIPS ANS MARKETING COMPANY $500K (7%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC); CHEVRON CORPORATION $200K (3%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC) NO GOING BACK PAC INC. — $1.8M opposing Peltola FORWARD ALASKA — $1.3M supporting Peltola · 1 ad on this page AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY ACTION, INC. (AFP ACTION) DBA CVA ACTION AND DBA LIBRE ACTION — $1.2M opposing Peltola · 4 ads on this pageLargest donors: KOCH INC $30.0M (33%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC); STAND TOGETHER INC. $20.0M (22%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC); Jim C Walton $7.0M (8%), Self-Employed, Philanthropist; S Robson Walton $7.0M (8%), Retired, Retired; STAND TOGETHER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INC $6.5M (7%) (an organization: its own funders aren't reported to the FEC) and 15 more
Bundled through PACs
$236K through 6 PACs · FEC bulk data of 2026-09-27 JSTREETPAC — $132K from 145 gifts Lobbyist/registrant PAC EMILYS LIST — $75K from 107 gifts ADVANCING DEMOCRACY AND MOBILIZATION PAC — $14K from 4 gifts END CITIZENS UNITED — $7,000 from 2 gifts SERVE AMERICA PAC — $7,000 from 2 gifts and 1 more
102 PACs gave directly — alphabetical; the legal limit is $5,000 per election
  • A NEW DIRECTION PAC $5,000
  • ADVANCING DEMOCRACY AND MOBILIZATION PAC $10K
  • AG PAC $5,000
  • ALL FOR OUR COUNTRY LEADERSHIP PAC $10K
  • ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS POLITICAL ACTION FUND $2,500
  • ALSOPAC $10K
  • AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION - COPE $5,000
  • AMERICA WORKS FEDERAL PAC $2,500
  • AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR JUSTICE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (AAJ PAC) $5,000
  • AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE COUNTY & MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES - P.E.O.P.L.E., NATIONAL $5,000
  • AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, AFL-CIO COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL EDUCATION $5,000
  • AMERICAN MOBILIZATION PAC $10K
  • AMERICAN POSTAL WORKERS UNION COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL ACTION $2,500
  • AMERIPAC: THE FUND FOR A GREATER AMERICA $10K
  • BEYOND THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS PAC $1,000
  • BLUE DOG POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $5,000
  • BLUE HEN FEDERAL PAC $10K
  • BLUE WAVE PROJECT $10K
  • BONAMICI FOR CONGRESS $1,000
  • BUILDING BLUE $10K
  • CLIMATE CABINET PAC $250
  • COMMON GROUND PAC $10K
  • COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA - COPE POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS COMMITTEE $10K
  • COOPER FOR NORTH CAROLINA $4,000
  • DEFEND THE DREAM $10K
  • DEFEND THE VOTE $5,000
  • DEMOCRACY SUMMER LEADERSHIP PAC $2,000
  • DEMOCRATIC WOMEN OF THE SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY $5,000
  • DIRT ROAD DEMOCRATS PAC $5,000
  • DOGGETT FOR CONGRESS $2,000
  • ELECT DEMOCRATIC WOMEN $5,000
  • ELECTING WOMEN BAY AREA PAC $2,946
  • EMILY'S LIST $5,000
  • END CITIZENS UNITED $2,500
  • FIGHT FOR PROGRESS PAC $2,000
  • FOLLOW THE NORTH STAR FUND $10K
  • FRIENDS OF DON BEYER $2,000
  • FRIENDS OF TOM BYRNE $2,000
  • GETTING RESULTS BY ENGAGING THE GRASSROOTS (GREG PAC) $10K
  • GIDDY UP PAC $5,000
  • GRANITE VALUES PAC $10K
  • GREATER OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT (GOLD PAC) $1,000
  • HAWAII PAC $10K
  • HEALTH JOBS JUSTICE $10K
  • HOOPS PAC $10K
  • I GOT YOUR BACK PAC $10K
  • IMPACT $10K
  • IN OUR HANDS $5,000
  • INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SHEET METAL, AIR, RAIL AND TRANSPORTATION WORKERS POLITICAL ACTION LEAGUE $5,000
  • JOINT ACTION COMMITTEE FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS $2,500
  • JONATHAN JACOBS FOR CONGRESS $900
  • JUNTOS PAC $10K
  • KIDSPAC $5,000
  • LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS ACTION FUND $50
  • LIFTOFF PAC $10K
  • LOBO PAC $10K
  • M-PAC $10K
  • MAPLE PAC $5,000
  • MEDICARE FOR ALL PAC (MAPAC) $5,000
  • MITTEN PAC $10K
  • MODERATE DEMOCRATS PAC $10K
  • MOMS FED UP $5,000
  • MOTOR CITY PAC $10K
  • NATIONAL POSTAL MAIL HANDLERS UNION - DIVISION OF LABORERS' INT'L UNION OF NORTH AMERICA $1,500
  • NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EMPLOYEES ORGANIZATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $2,500
  • NEA FUND FOR CHILDREN AND PUBLIC EDUCATION $5,000
  • NO SURRENDER FUND $3,500
  • NRDC ACTION FUND INC PAC $1,000
  • NUTMEG PAC $2,500
  • OFF THE SIDELINES PAC $10K
  • PAC A PUNCH $3,500
  • PAC TO THE FUTURE $10K
  • PATRIOT PAC $5,000
  • PERIMETER PAC $10K
  • PETE AGUILAR FOR CONGRESS $2,000
  • PINEAPPLE PAC $5,000
  • PROGRESSIVE VOTERS OF AMERICA $10K
  • PURPOSE PAC $10K
  • PUTTING NEW HAMPSHIRE FIRST $7,000
  • RAJA FOR ILLINOIS $3,500
  • REGION LEADERSHIP PAC $2,000
  • REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM FOR ALL FREEDOM FUND $5,000
  • REV UP PAC $5,000
  • REVIVING AMERICAN JOBS AGAIN PAC $7,000
  • RISING DEMS $3,500
  • SEIU COPE (SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL EDUCATION) $5,000
  • SMART SOLUTIONS PAC $10K
  • SMART TD PAC $5,000
  • SPEAK UP PAC $5,000
  • SPIKE PAC $3,000
  • STAND UP FOR WORKERS PAC $5,000
  • STORM PAC $6,000
  • SUNFLOWER SEEDS PAC $1,000
  • SUPPORTING HOUSE PROBLEM SOLVERS - SHP PAC $5,000
  • SYNERGY PAC $5,000
  • TRI-STATE MAXED-OUT WOMEN $10K
  • TURQUOISE PAC $10K
  • UAW - V - CAP (UAW VOLUNTARY COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM) 'INT'L UNION UNITED AUTOMOBILE AEROSPACE & AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT WORKERS OF AMERICA UAW $5,000
  • VOTE SAVE AMERICA $5,000
  • WARREN FOR SENATE, INC. $4,000
  • WAY BACK PAC $10K
  • WOMEN'S POLITICAL COMMITTEE FEDERAL $5,000

All filings at the FEC ↗

Praise and criticism

What named supporters and critics say, as reported. Shown in equal numbers.

Praise

Dan J. Sullivan (retired teacher and primary candidate): Says he would choose Peltola over the incumbent senator. thehill.com

Accurate?

NRA-PVF (Amy Hunter Kozuch): Says Peltola has a strong record supporting gun rights and law-abiding gun owners. thehill.com

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MoveOn: Praises Peltola's commitment to Alaska's working families in its endorsement. washingtonexaminer.com

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Bev Hoffman: Says Peltola is nice but tough, not a pushover. ktoo.org

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Criticism

Nick Puglia (NRSC spokesman): Says Peltola worked with Kamala Harris to put Alaska last. thehill.com

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Nate Adams (Sullivan campaign spokesperson): Says Peltola never got a single bill signed into law and became a D.C. lobbyist after being fired by Alaskans. adn.com

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National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman (to Axios): Calls Peltola one of Schumer's losing recruits in red-state Senate races. alaskapublic.org

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Nick Puglia: Said Peltola worked with Kamala Harris in ways that hurt Alaska. thehill.com

Accurate?

Controversies

Stated as reported. Most are reported by at least two independent news outlets or found in an official record; any with only one source so far is marked Single source.

Allegations

New York Times report on campaign and office conduct Single source

Only one source found so far. We keep looking for a second, independent report.

The New York Times reported that several former Peltola aides described profane outbursts and displays of anger by Peltola in her campaign and congressional office, including an incident in which she allegedly shoved a male employee, and reported that she used an ableist slur; the campaign denied a pattern of problematic behavior and denied she used a homophobic slur.

Sources: thehill.com

Accurate?

FEC complaint over Alaska Democratic Party 'scammer hotline' mailers supporting Peltola

A private individual filed an FEC complaint alleging the Alaska Democratic Party, which was supporting Peltola's 2024 reelection, distributed mailers and a recorded phone line calling opponent Nick Begich a scammer without including a required disclaimer, in violation of federal election law.

Sources: fec.gov

Accurate?

Allegations of coordination with same-named Senate candidate Single source

Only one source found so far. We keep looking for a second, independent report.

The NRSC alleged, in a letter reported by Politico, that a Republican primary challenger who shares the name Dan Sullivan coordinated with a Democratic strategist and others to confuse Alaskan voters and benefit Peltola's Senate campaign; the challenger and a Peltola spokesperson both denied any coordination.

Response: a spokesman for Peltola has publicly denied any involvement in the Sullivan situation.

Sources: thehill.com

Accurate?

Investigations

FEC complaint over 2025 House campaign spending during Senate run Single source

Only one source found so far. We keep looking for a second, independent report.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee asked the FEC to investigate Peltola for spending more than $100,000 from her U.S. House campaign account in 2025 while not actively campaigning for that seat, alleging she used the account as personal funds and that her salary from a lobbying firm may have constituted an illegal excessive campaign contribution.

Response: “this is a completely false attack by Dan Sullivan and his Washington allies in the Lower 48.”

Sources: adn.com

Accurate?

From Semblen

Semblen analyzed 50 ads from Mary Peltola's campaign; 25 used at least one manipulation technique, most often Loaded Language, Appeal to Prejudice, Conspiracy Appeal. See the ads, the money and every candidate in this race →

Sources

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