Alaska Senate debate, October 15, 2026

Moderator ▶ 0:03

Alaska Public Media, Alaska's news source and KTOO present Debate for the State, the U.S. Senate race. Good evening. Thanks for joining us for the final debate in our Debate for the State series. Tonight for one of Alaska's U.S. Senate seats. We're coming to you live from Alaska Public Media on statewide TV, radio, and online. I'm Lori Townsend, tonight's moderator. My colleagues, Liz Ruskin, Alaska Public Media's Washington, D.C. correspondent, and Will Courtney, political reporter for Alaska's news source, will ask the questions. We have two candidates on the debate stage tonight, former U.S. Congresswoman, Democrat Mary Peltola, incumbent senator Republican Dan Sullivan. Although four candidates for Senate will be on November's ballot, we invited only candidates who received at least 5% of the primary vote. Candidates will have 30 seconds for opening comments. The order was determined earlier by drawing numbers. All answers will be timed with the yellow light indicating you have 10 seconds left and the red light followed by a ding means you are out of time. Each candidate has up to four 30-second rebuttals to use, and candidates will have the chance to ask each other one question. We'd also like to hear from you, our audience. Choose the issue that matters most to you. If you are watching, scan the QR code on your screen or go to alaskapublic.org/poll. That's alaskapublic.org/poll. Now let's get started. Ms. Peltola, you're opening comments, please. You have 30 seconds.

Moderator ▶ 2:18

Thank you, Ms. Peltola. Mr. Sullivan, 30 seconds.

Moderator ▶ 2:50

Thank you, sir. The first question is from Liz Ruskin about Iran. Mr. Sullivan, you have supported the president's war on Iran and repeatedly voted against a War Powers Resolution. The war has been going on for more than seven months, and Iran hasn't capitulated. What can Congress do to hasten the war's end? You have a minute.

Dan Sullivan ▶ 3:13

Liz, I voted for the resolutions because making sure the largest state sponsor of terrorism should not have nuclear weapons. And this state sponsor of terrorism has also killed thousands of American troops. We need to open the Straits of Hormuz, make sure Iran does not get a nuclear weapon, but it needs to end soon. The energy costs from this war are too high, but I will tell you this, the best way to bring down costs with regard to energy in Alaska is to produce more Alaskan energy by and for Alaskans. We are doing that. My opponent, when she was in Congress, actually voted against producing more Alaskan energy and she would empower people who won't be doing that. So to me, energy costs are going to come down when we produce more American energy. I have a strong record of doing that. We are doing that and that's important.

Moderator ▶ 4:15

To clarify, to hasten the war's end, Congress should do what? I'm sorry, I didn't hear an answer.

Moderator ▶ 4:32

Okay. Ms. Peltola, if you were in the Senate today, would you vote to end U.S. attacks on Iran even without a peace deal in place? And what would you do What would you support to keep Iran from rebuilding its nuclear program? Also a minute.

Moderator ▶ 5:50

And if I could clarify, are you saying what would you do, would you vote to end the war in Iran even without a peace deal in place?

Mary Peltola ▶ 6:00

I think a peace deal is so far out of sight and Iran can weather hardships. They are waiting us out. There does not seem to be a peace deal on the horizon and I think it's so important that our military be removed and protected. We've had 20 servicemen die in conflicts over there already.

Moderator ▶ 6:21

That was just a quick clarification. And then Senator Solveig's rebuttal. To take a rebuttal opportunity.

Moderator ▶ 7:01

And you would like 30 seconds?

Moderator ▶ 7:33

All right, thank you, Ms. Peltola. We're going to stay on foreign relations. President Trump has not always backed Ukraine in its defense against Russia. Should the United States have Ukraine's back, and how would you advise President Trump on this issue? You have one minute. We begin with Ms. Peltola.

Mary Peltola ▶ 7:48

Thank you. I think it's so important that we stand with Ukraine and our allies. We have been making... new adversaries out of our traditional allies across the globe. You see this with Ukraine. I think we should be doing everything in our power to help support them, not bolstering up Russia, aid to Ukraine should be continually evaluated and used effectively and efficiently so that Alaskans' money is spent responsibly while we support our allies instead of things like this silly trade war, the tariffs with Canada. We are really, I am so ashamed of the way we're turning our back on our own allies, our Arctic allies, our Arctic partners. And you see this from Ukraine to Canada to Greenland. This is a terrible trend. It's weakening us. It's diminishing our own power. And I think that we need to take these things very seriously.

Moderator ▶ 8:43

All right. Thank you, Ms. Paltola. Mr. Sullivan, you have a minute.

Moderator ▶ 9:55

You'd like rebuttal time?

Moderator ▶ 10:30

Thank you. President Trump last week announced he's lifting sanctions to buy diesel from Russia. A bipartisan group of senators has asked him to reconsider, saying it helps Russia fund its war on Ukraine and does little for Americans. Mr. Sullivan, you were not one of the senators who signed the letter. What do you think of the president's decision to import diesel from Russia? You have a minute.

Moderator ▶ 11:58

Ms. Peltola, if you were a senator, would you have asked the president to reverse course on the diesel purchase?

Moderator ▶ 13:00

Thank you. All right, let's hear a question from a local financial advisor on the future of Social Security.

Other ▶ 13:08

I'm Marietta Hall and I'm a financial planner and a lifelong resident of Alaska. Social Security is projected to be 75% funded in the year 2032. There have been several proposals to fix this funding including lowering benefits, raising the payroll wage cap, raising payroll taxes, raising investment taxes, and raising the eligible collection ages. Which solutions do you support?

Moderator ▶ 13:35

All right, thank you for that question. Ms. Paltola, we'll start with you. You have one minute.

Moderator ▶ 14:41

all right mr sullivan you have one minute

Dan Sullivan ▶ 14:44

well i've never voted to raise the retirement age so that's another mary peltola lie which is unfortunate and disappointing but it's been a hallmark of her campaign look i think with regard to social security first and foremost the people in social security we need to make sure it's a lockbox They're gonna get what they continue to have. You can't touch it. Same with people who are getting close to retirement. You can't touch it. They have been relying on it. But we have all kinds of opportunities with bipartisan reforms. It must be bipartisan to move big reforms. Previously reforms on Social Security solvency had to be bipartisan. I'm considering all these. But again, let me talk about my opponent. When she was in the state legislature, she voted to get rid of pensions for state workers. And I voted for last year's Social Security tax cuts for our seniors and the Social Security Fairness Act, which restores some of the cuts that Mary Peltola made to our teachers and firemen on their retirement.

Moderator ▶ 15:46

All right. Thank you, Senator. Alaskans say they're having a hard time paying for groceries, housing and gas. And in rural Alaska, the average price of a gallon of heating fuel reached a record nearly eight dollars in August. How will you work in Congress to make it more affordable to live in this state? Mr. Sullivan, you have 90 seconds.

Dan Sullivan ▶ 16:06

Well, first off, these are really challenges. And this is a huge issue that is hurting people across the state. You know, the spikes in inflation started under the Biden administration. Same with the spikes in fuel prices. But this is a problem that we need to address. Immediately, I've had the White House launch their Alaska Energy Task Force that is helping to directly address specific Alaska problems in terms of energy. Let me give you an example. We had LIHEAP funding, that's for low-income Alaskans to get more benefits and relief from high costs with regard to their utility costs. We've doubled that. But as I mentioned, we also need to make sure that we are producing more Alaskan energy for Alaskans. We're doing it. Mary Peltola, when she was in Congress, did nothing when the Biden administration issued 70 executive orders

Moderator ▶ 17:14

You're not supposed to be interrupting here.

Dan Sullivan ▶ 17:17

Can I get a couple seconds back from that interruption?

Moderator ▶ 17:20

We'll give you five more seconds, Senator.

Dan Sullivan ▶ 17:23

Seventy executive orders that shut down our state, killed our jobs, and she did nothing, nothing to address that. The other thing we need to do is put more money in the pockets of Alaskans. We're doing that with tax breaks for seniors and working families. My opponent is actually for that.

Moderator ▶ 17:41

Thank you, Senator. Let's flop it. You leave it there. Thank you. And now, Ms. Paltoli, you have 90 seconds.

Moderator ▶ 19:15

Thank you, Miss Peltola. Here's a moderator question.

Other ▶ 19:18

We weren't supposed to get these questions beforehand were we no sir neither one of you got questions before okay absolutely not opponent no that is a thank you question to be answered thank you

Moderator ▶ 19:32

We've heard a lot about the potential and the dangers of AI, artificial intelligence. Do you think tech companies can self-regulate AI or what principles would you like to see in government regulation? Ms. Peltola, we'll start with you. One minute.

Moderator ▶ 20:52

Thank you. I'm sorry, can I give you five seconds to please address the question about regulating AI?

Mary Peltola ▶ 20:58

Yes, AI should be regulated. This is one of the most concerning issues that parents face. I mean, we don't even have our arms around social media. Of course, AI needs to be regulated.

Moderator ▶ 21:11

Thank you. Mr. Sullivan, regulating of AI.

Dan Sullivan ▶ 21:14

I just want to make a point, though. My opponent keeps talking about corporate greed. is again, she defines the rigged system in DC. There's nothing more rigged than a member of Congress getting fired and then immediately walking through the revolving door to cash in, she made almost a half a million dollars last year as a DC lobby selling, selling, I was about to rebut this. Selling, quit interrupting. Selling her knowledge of DC. She did it when she left the state legislature. She set up a lobbying firm. Mary, you're walking through the revolving door so much, you must be getting dizzy up here. So, I just want to make that record clear. On AI, we just voted on the Senate floor the AI Responsibility Act. It would make sure, and all the Democrats in the Senate voted against it, it would make sure that data centers pay their own way. It is a good beginning important regulation. I led the efforts on it. We voted on it and unfortunately it was blocked by Democrats in the Senate.

Moderator ▶ 22:17

Did you want 30 seconds? This would be your third rebuttal.

Moderator ▶ 22:54

A reminder that we want to hear from you, our audience, about the issues that matter.

Dan Sullivan ▶ 23:00

I'd like to make a rebuttal on that.

Moderator ▶ 23:02

All right, we'll give you 30 seconds. That's your second one, sir.

Moderator ▶ 23:38

Candidates, please stop.

Dan Sullivan ▶ 23:39

It's the New York Times. Read the article.

Mary Peltola ▶ 23:42

It's unfounded allegations.

Moderator ▶ 23:43

All right. If I have to have Mike shut off, I will. Please, let's respect the time that we have. A reminder that we also want to hear from you, our audience, about the issues that matter most to you. If you're watching on TV or online, scan the QR code on your screen. It will take you to a live poll. If you're listening on statewide radio, go to alaskapublic.org/poll. We have another question from an Alaskan. Diane Oltheis is in Hope, and she wants to know, "The campaign mail and TV ads have been brutal. Can the candidates address the attack ads directed at them? Are there any allegations from the ads you would like to rebut? Mr. Sullivan, you can start. You have one minute.

Mary Peltola ▶ 25:25

that is a patent lie that is an absolute fabrication out of thin air dan sullivan's taken ten thousand dollars that we know of we can point to And I'm very proud of the fact that in my attack ads and my allegations, we put a QR code so people see the citation or they can see the citation on the screen and go and do fact checking on their own. I do not have control over PAC money and what other folks are saying about Dan Sullivan's time in DC. I do think it's terrible that we have been inundated as Alaskans with attack ad after attack ad. The attacks on me have no substance. They say people are dressing me up to look like an Alaskan and that when I'm in rooms full of people, they're not our people. What does that even mean? And these attacks, lying, saying I don't support our troops. I have two sons who were enlisted four and enlisted five when they got out. They were both on food stamps. I was happy to vote for that pay raise that our service members hadn't had in 10 years.

Moderator ▶ 26:32

Thank you, candidates. Many Americans lost health care coverage after the Affordable Care Act enhanced subsidies ended, leaving thousands without health insurance in Alaska. What is the answer for helping Americans access affordable coverage? Ms. Peltola, you start with a minute.

Moderator ▶ 27:45

- All right, thank you, Ms. Peltola. Mr. Sullivan, you have one minute.

Moderator ▶ 28:52

- Thank you, Senator Sullivan. Many Alaskans are demanding that the trawl fleet catch fewer salmon as they target pollock. Some demand a ban on trawling altogether. Do you support a ban on trawling or what would you do to reduce bycatch? Mr. Sullivan, one minute please.

Dan Sullivan ▶ 29:09

Well, look, fisheries are a huge, huge focus of mine. And again, this is a big difference between me and my opponent. She's now run four campaigns where she's highlighted fish. She's gotten zero done on fish. As a matter of fact, Mary Peltola has been in Congress two terms and got zero bills signed into law. Zero. And on fisheries, her first term, she talked a lot about fish. She didn't even introduce one bill relating to fisheries. I have bills that have passed, strengthening our salmon runs, cleaning up our oceans. And yes, the most comprehensive bycatch reduction bill ever. I moved it forward. It moved out of the Commerce Committee in a bipartisan way just about a month and a half ago. And I brought it to the Senate floor. Every Republican voted for it. Maria Cantwell, the Washington state senator, blocked it. She wants to be chairman of the Commerce Committee. If Mary Peltola wins, She will be. She protects the trawlers. She's given money to Mary Paltola. Thank you. That's why this is so important.

Moderator ▶ 30:14

Senator Sullivan, I have a follow-up. Do you favor a ban on trawling or any mandated changes in gear types? 30 seconds, please.

Dan Sullivan ▶ 30:22

Yeah, Liz, like I said, my bill is the most comprehensive bycatch reduction bill ever. And it would reduce and dramatically reduce bottom contact. It would require the kind of technology that you mentioned. It would completely revamp the council process to make it more transparent. And again, it passed out of committee. I brought it to the floor. The person blocking it is who Mary Peltola wants to support as the Commerce Committee Chairman. It'll never pass with Cantwell as Chairman. -

Moderator ▶ 30:55

Ms. Peltola, do you support a ban on trawling or what would you do to reduce bycatch?

Mary Peltola ▶ 31:01

- I do support a ban on trawling. Strong fisheries are the lifeblood of our economy, our communities, and our people. Some of the fisheries that have sustained us for generations here in Alaska are suffering at the hands of lower 48 factory trawlers, and we need to take action. We need bold action to restore our fisheries, which includes banning factory trawling and reducing bycatch. ensuring Alaskans have a seat at the table where fishery policy is decided, investing in modern technologies to detect and reduce bycatch in real time, investing in our fish byproduct and mariculture economies, And instead of joining my efforts in Congress to solve key issues facing Alaska fishermen, Dan Sullivan reeled in over $300,000 from trawlers and waited until the 11th hour for a half-hearted and half-baked solution on an election year bill that leaves Alaskans on the hook. We definitely need to ban crawling.

Moderator ▶ 32:01

And Ms. Cotulla, I also have a follow up for you. You're calling for a ban, if I understand it, on factory trawlers, the largest trawlers. What about the bycatch of the rest of the trawl fleet?

Mary Peltola ▶ 32:16

You know, I think that we should look at buyback options if that's on the table. I think that Alaskans are ready to look at every and any solution. And we certainly have Alaska families who own smaller vessels, and they do not have the same kind of negative effect that these industrial factory trawlers have. They're all based in the lower 48. They're taking all that resource. They're taking fishing processing jobs away from our rural communities and processing entirely on the open ocean.

Moderator ▶ 32:47

- Did you want 30 seconds, sir? - Yes.

Dan Sullivan ▶ 32:50

This is a really important issue, so let's clarify it. The entire trawl fleet based in Seattle was against my bill. vehemently against my bill, but I work hard. I know how to get legislation passed. Again, my opponent, two terms in Congress, zero bills signed into law, zero on fisheries, and the key here is who is going to be supporting her. She's getting thousands of dollars from Maria Cantwell, the protector of the trawl fleet. Mary Peltola wins, and the Democrats take control of the Senate. Cantwell is the chairman of the Commerce Committee and will never get bycatch done in the Senate.

Other ▶ 33:26

Let's hear from a young Alaskan now. My name is Sunday and I'm a student at South Anchorage High School and I'm also a member of Anchorage Youth Vote. My question is, what actions would you propose or support to keep kids safe online while protecting their free speech and privacy?

Moderator ▶ 33:43

All right. Online safety. Ms. Peltola, you have one minute. Thank you.

Mary Peltola ▶ 33:48

I'm so thankful that Sundae asked that question. You know, we call it social media, but it is not social. It really drives people into spending more time alone, more solitary time. I think we know the damaging effect that this quote-unquote social media, all the social media platforms have on young people. I think that having teen accounts, having parental permission is a good start. But these social media companies, they know that they've been injurious to our young people. They have not been good partners. They have thwarted all of the efforts that have been made to get our arms around this threat to our young people. And young people even talk about it. But it's almost like you have to have a social media site so you know what the traffic is, what people are saying about you. So they're almost... being defensive by having accounts.

Moderator ▶ 34:46

Mr. Sullivan?

Dan Sullivan ▶ 34:47

Well this is an area I'm going to agree with Mary Paltola on. It's an area I care deeply about. You can have the greatest economy in the world and job growth, but if your kids are having high levels of depression, young Alaskans, We have to address this. This has been a priority of mine for over a decade. When I launched the first wellness summit that is addressing youth mental health and addiction. We need to do more on this. But, we also just passed out of committee, I'm an original co-sponsor of the Kids Online Safety Act. Big Tech hates it. Came out of committee strongly again. They killed it in the house a couple years ago, but it's giving parents tools on how to best address online safety and it does provide significant responsibilities on the big tech companies themselves. It's all a combination. Online, depression, addiction. We have to get our arms around the mental health issue for our youth.

Moderator ▶ 35:51

Candidates, we have questions about decorum in office. Ms. Peltola, former staff members have alleged that you've subjected them to angry outbursts and used derogatory language. How do you respond to these allegations? You have a minute. Thank you.

Mary Peltola ▶ 36:08

You know, I do not think that this election is about me on my worst day. And I found so many of these allegations concerning and outright fabrications or mass exaggerations of the truth. What I would like is to have an opportunity to have staff members who have worked with me for decades and we've worked very well together. It's hard not to consider staff members part of your family with the amount of time that you spend together, the kind of pressure that you endure. And I really am very concerned about making sure that we are respectful and respectful of all people. And again, this is not, this campaign is not about me on my worst day. And I think it's a real sad statement that I'm such a threat as a candidate that they're just willing to do and say anything about me to help Dan win.

Moderator ▶ 37:07

Thank you. Mr. Sullivan, President Trump has verbally attacked and mocked many Americans. That includes people with disabilities and women. Why haven't you denounced his derogatory language as aggressively as you have Ms. Peltola's?

Moderator ▶ 38:27

mr sullivan um 10 seconds can you tell us a time that you've uh denounced President Trump's derogatory language?

Dan Sullivan ▶ 38:34

I've denounced it before on his Megyn Kelly comments and other things like that. I believe in respect. but I don't think it should be fake the way in which my opponent talks about it. This isn't one bad day. This is a character.

Moderator ▶ 38:49

Thank you. All right. Thank you candidates. And again, thank you for coming to this debate as well. We do think it's important to the democratic process. We also think journalism is important to a functioning democracy. From both your campaigns and elected positions, it's often been difficult to get responses from you. How will you engage with local media while in office? Mr. Sullivan, you have one minute.

Dan Sullivan ▶ 39:09

Look, I try to answer questions from our media all the time. It's not always in interviews, but certainly in written form. And I come home pretty much every weekend when I've been in office. Look, I work hard in this job. I engage with Alaskans throughout the state, and I think that's important. And I also believe it's important to engage with our media. But I work hard. And I want to mention a thing about my opponent. She doesn't have that reputation. She missed almost 20% of her votes in the House, almost 20% of her votes when she was in the State House, almost 40% of her meetings when she was in the Bethel City Council. 16 years in elected office, 16 years of not showing up for Alaskans. Alaska, imagine if you told your boss you were going to take one day off per week your boss would fire you. And that's what happened to Mary Peltola last election. Now she wants to promote you.

Moderator ▶ 40:10

Thank you, Senator Sullivan. Mary Peltola, the same question for you. How will you engage with local media while in office? You have one minute, ma'am.

Mary Peltola ▶ 40:17

Thank you. I really prided myself the two years, just two years, the one term and five weeks that I served as Alaska's representative. I prided myself in making myself available to Alaskan press especially. I really demurred from national attention, from national outlets. I think it's so important that Alaskans are hearing from me directly. And I think that the press corps in Liz Ruskin can attest to, I made myself very available all the time for various stories. And I came home a lot. There were nine weekends in a row where I came home. You know, I... I am so proud of the work that I did the two years that I served in the U.S. Congress. I was boots on the ground in Alaska so often and that, you know, it takes a day to fly back, it takes a day to fly to Alaska. This adds up and again, I am so proud of my accomplishments in Washington, D.C.

Moderator ▶ 41:19

Thank you, Ms. Paltola. Thank you, candidates. Let's check on our our current poll results. A reminder, if you're watching on TV or online, you can scan the QR code on your screen to take our live poll about what matters most to you. If you're listening on statewide radio, go to alaskapublic.org/poll to engage. And currently, we see 33% of Alaskans who weighed in cite the cost of living as their biggest concern. 32% are interested in resource development. And 12% cite health care. Now candidates can ask each other a question. Mr. Sullivan, you have 20 seconds to ask. Ms. Paltola, you will have one minute to answer. And then Mr. Sullivan, you will have 30 seconds to respond.

Dan Sullivan ▶ 42:05

To Mary Paltola, you once said the worst vote you took in the Alaska legislature was your vote to get rid of pensions for teachers, troopers, nurses, and other hardworking Alaskans. Why is that worse than your vote to impose a state income tax on hardworking Alaskans and your vote twice to cut our PFD?

Mary Peltola ▶ 42:25

You know, I -- oh, thank you, Dan. I served for 10 years in our state legislature on the House side, and I was the chair of the Alaska Bush Caucus. We represented the most remote communities in Alaska. And even the 10 years that I served in the state legislature from 1999 to 2009, every year we were on the precipice of running out of our savings, of our constitutional budget reserve, having to dip into the permanent fund, which we're all loath to do. And I was part of groups, coalitions of Republicans and Democrats, Classic me working in a bipartisan way, not mudslinging. We had five Democrats and five Republicans in the bipartisan Bush caucus. And we worked hand in glove together with people from all over our state to come up with ideas. Obviously, those haven't been put into fruition because here we are still on the precipice of budget failure.

Moderator ▶ 43:27

30 seconds, sir.

Moderator ▶ 44:03

Mary Poltola, you have 20 seconds to ask your question. Okay.

Mary Peltola ▶ 44:08

Those were bipartisan coalition compromise decisions. Those were bipartisan plans.

Moderator ▶ 44:13

It's your question.

Mary Peltola ▶ 44:15

The question? Okay, gladly. Dan, since the passage of your one big beautiful bill, tens of thousands of Alaskans have no private health care insurance. And what do you have to say to the Alaskans who are now going without life-saving insurance?

Moderator ▶ 44:29

Thank you. You have one minute, sir.

Dan Sullivan ▶ 44:31

Yeah, the Working Families Tax Cuts Act did not touch Medicaid for funding for Alaska Medicare or Social Security any ad that says that is false as a matter of fact I was able to get a provision in that bill to increase the federal match for Medicaid I've been working on that for over 10 years to increase it to 65% for Alaska would have been 200 million dollar more annual increase to Medicaid senator Schumer stripped strip that out of the bill. Senator Schumer is who you want to make majority leader. That was a betrayal of Alaskans. So what did we do? We pivoted. We built out this huge rural transformation fund. I doubled the number to $50 billion for the country and made it very focused on Alaska. That's why we got the biggest award to address healthcare challenges with $1.4 billion with Alaskans writing the plan. It's a great opportunity and I'm proud that we've got that done in the bill.

Moderator ▶ 45:35

Ms. Peltola, you have 30 seconds.

Mary Peltola ▶ 45:37

Yes, health care professionals around the state are having challenges finding creative ways to spend that money because there are so many sideboards put on that money where we can't solve Alaska challenges with Alaska Solutions because of those prohibitive sideboards. And again, thousands of Alaskans are off of private health care insurance because of the ACA tax credit cuts. This is damaging. tens of thousands of Alaskans every day.

Dan Sullivan ▶ 46:06

Can I respond to that?

Moderator ▶ 46:07

You have, this is your final rebuttal. Okay. You want to use it?

Dan Sullivan ▶ 46:12

I do.

Moderator ▶ 46:12

Okay, 30 seconds.

Dan Sullivan ▶ 46:13

Again, I voted for the extension of the premium tax credits twice. Bucked my party on that. You never voted for extending premium tax credits, even though you could have when you were in the House. But look, I just want to ask my opponent, $1.4 billion to to reimagine our entire healthcare system. It is a great opportunity. And do you agree that that's a good part of the bill? I've been all over the state seeing the awards that have come out. It is innovation. It's a great opportunity for our great state.

Moderator ▶ 46:46

All right, thank you, Senator. Let's talk about the LNG pipeline. Candidates, you both have praised the Korea deal announced as monumental as from the president, but Korean leaders say they are not committed to investing in the Alaskan natural gas pipeline. What do you tell Alaskans who see another gas line promise they've heard for the last 50 years? Mr. Sullivan, we begin with you. You have one minute.

Dan Sullivan ▶ 47:06

Well, look, I've been working on this project my entire career. It's so important. This will be the project that changes Alaska's future. This will be the project that keeps our kids and our grandkids here, low-cost energy for 50 to 100 years. And I've pressed this administration relentlessly to get behind it. And you've seen what the president and his team, they have. It's in the Korean trade agreement that they should invest in it. It's actually in the deal. There's domestic politics that are happening in Korea. But the president of Korea has come back saying they're committed to it. It has to be reasonable terms. But they've committed a huge amount of money. So have the Taiwanese when you saw the president announce this. But again, this is a difference with my opponent. I have no idea where she stands on the Alaska LNG project. She's got a lot of staff who certainly have come out against it. She hasn't talked about it hardly at all. And here's the other thing. In 2008, she took a vote on the gas line, but she missed the vote. She missed the vote to advance the gas line. Again, not showing up for work on a critical issue for Alaska.

Moderator ▶ 48:09

I have a follow-up question for you. I'm going to ask you another question about the gas line because the president continues to say the South Korea agreement is actually happening. He did so at that rally just a few days ago. But how does this claim anything more than a campaign pitch to help you get elected? You have 30 seconds.

Dan Sullivan ▶ 48:25

Well, Will, it's not about that at all. And you and I have talked about it. The Korean trade agreement with the United States has a $350 billion provision to invest in America. That has been passed by the Korean legislature. $150 billion for shipbuilding, $200 billion for additional projects. One of the additional projects, which was announced, the Oval Office, was our project, and it's in the joint Korean-US trade deal. The amount of money is still being negotiated, but the Koreans have appropriated the money and committed to the HLG project.

Moderator ▶ 48:57

Mr. Sullivan, thank you. Ms. Peltola, I'm going to ask the same question of you. What do you tell the asking as you see this gas line promises the same thing they've heard for the last 50 years?

Mary Peltola ▶ 49:07

Well, I am in strong support of a liquefied natural gas pipeline. most reasonable Alaskans are. I think most of us have, we know the old refrain, dear God, give us one more boom and we promise we won't squander this one. There has been so much effort at finding investors, at finding a way to make this an actuality. This has been talked about for decades. And of course, we all desperately want more gas and oil production in Alaska. Gas and oil will always be part of our energy portfolio. We know that. And I am very interested in making sure that there are project labor agreements that we're not foregoing property taxes in the North Slope borough, that we're not leaving money on the table and not getting all of the royalties that we deserve. But I just think it's really important that we manage expectations and not be promoting falsehoods that just have no substance.

Moderator ▶ 50:03

Thank you, Ms. Peltola. And I have a follow-up question for you as well. Once the president made this announcement about the South Korea deal, you praised your own efforts from your time in the legislature and your time in the House as well. But like I asked Mr. Sullivan, the gas line doesn't seem to be any closer to being reality. How have you made the gas line any closer to reality? You'll have 30 seconds.

Mary Peltola ▶ 50:25

Well, you know, I even after we got Willow through, I was even making hard sell cases with the Biden administration to help us with the LNG plant, help us with the LNG pipeline. And making sure that we can get more development in Alaska. The Willow Project was a good start, but we all know that we've been in an economic slump for over 10 years in Alaska. We have out-migration every year. We're all concerned about our economy in Alaska.

Moderator ▶ 50:55

Thank you, Ms. Paltola. In 2019, Attorney General William Barr visited rural Alaska and declared the lack of law enforcement and emergency and allocated $10 million to support rural law enforcement. There is still very little local police presence in most rural Alaska communities. What do you think is needed to support these communities and what is the role of the Department of Justice? You have 45 seconds, Ms. Peltola.

Mary Peltola ▶ 51:25

Yeah, when I served in the state legislature, I was on the budget subcommittees for public safety, courts, and corrections. There's nothing more important to me than the safety of every single Alaskan in every single community. Even our smallest communities have big city crime. But DC politicians like Dan would rather use this as a wedge issue than solve the actual problem. Like you said, Liz, we have had two separate huge federal investments, one by the Trump administration and one by the Biden administration. And both times, we had a governor who was willing to take back the state portion so it was still a break even. We have got to get better law enforcement throughout our state.

Moderator ▶ 52:12

Thank you. Mr. Sullivan, 45 seconds.

Dan Sullivan ▶ 52:14

Liz, very quickly though, back to the LNG point. Again, Mary Peltola had, there was a vote in 2008 in the legislature to advance the gas line. She missed the vote. She didn't show up. That's a pattern with her. 20% of the votes in the legislature. That's unacceptable, Alaska, especially on something of that importance. But look, the law enforcement in rural Alaska has been a passion of mine since my time as Attorney General when I launched the Choose Respect campaign all about addressing the challenges of domestic violence and sexual assault. I'm the one who encouraged Attorney General Barr and Liz, it was a lot more than 10 million, it was more like 60 million. We need to do much more and we need to stop the flow of fentanyl into our native villages which is killing and poisoning our young people.

Moderator ▶ 53:03

All right, let's get to some lightning round questions now before closing comments. Candidates, you will have up to 15 seconds to answer, and you cannot ask for a rebuttal during the lightning round. At the Wasilla rally, t-shirts were sold that promoted a third Trump administration. Would you support a third term for the president? Ms. Peltola, you have 15 seconds.

Mary Peltola ▶ 53:23

No, I would not. I think that it's really important that we keep the custom of having, you know, and the letter of the law and follow the rule of law, which is two terms for every president. That's, if you can't get it done in eight years, why have four more?

Moderator ▶ 53:40

Thank you, Ms. Peltola. Mr. Sullivan?

Dan Sullivan ▶ 53:42

No, absolutely not. It would be unconstitutional, and I don't support that at all.

Moderator ▶ 53:47

Thank you, Mr. Sullivan.

Dan Sullivan ▶ 53:50

Well, the Supreme Court has already made this a free speech issue and so I think it's up to the courts in terms of the first amendment but I'll tell you this my opponent has raised an ungodly amount of money from lower forty eight groups that want to harm Alaska. Thank you.

Moderator ▶ 54:20

Ms. Peltola, limits on outside spending.

Mary Peltola ▶ 54:22

Thank you, Liz. I'm being outspent three to one right now because of Dan's supporters, specifically Elon Musk. And of course I would support limiting outside money. We should have a one-month campaign with a max of a million dollars. We should do away with Citizens United.

Moderator ▶ 54:42

The federal debt is $40 trillion. What's one thing you would propose to significantly reduce the debt? Ms. Peltola, 15 seconds.

Mary Peltola ▶ 54:49

Clearly, I would support getting out of these forever wars, like the war that is happening right now in Iran that Dan has voted for 14 times. We have seen our prices go through the roof. and it's not going to the federal deficit. It's going to corporate greed.

Moderator ▶ 55:05

Thank you, Ms. Peltola. Mr. Sullivan, 15 seconds.

Dan Sullivan ▶ 55:08

Well, there's my opponent again saying she wants to defund the military, which has been her record. Look, the most important way to get out of a debt like this, and we have done it before as a percentage of GDP, is to have strong economic growth. That's what I'm focused on every day in DC.

Moderator ▶ 55:24

Thank you, Mr. Sullivan. What's one nice thing you would say about your opponent, Mr. Sullivan? 15 seconds.

Dan Sullivan ▶ 55:30

Well, my wife invited Mary to attend my Marine Corps retirement ceremony after 30 years. and they honored me but they honored my wife and daughters more than anybody at my retirement ceremony after 30 years of honorable service and Mary Peltola attended.

Moderator ▶ 55:47

Ms. Peltola, one nice thing about your opponent.

Mary Peltola ▶ 55:50

Yeah, that was a lovely, lovely service and I was so proud to be there and one, you know, three wonderful attributes of Dan and Julie are their lovely daughters so that's three lovely things I can say about Dan and Julie.

Moderator ▶ 56:04

All right, thank you. It's time now for closing comments. Candidates, you have one minute. We determined the order earlier. Ms. Peltola, your closing comments, please.

Moderator ▶ 57:12

thank you mister solvent woman

Dan Sullivan ▶ 57:14

well I hope you've heard the contrast between me in congresswoman Peltola by the way Ted Stevens and Don Young would be definitely supporting me not her and certainly not Chuck Schumer Senate Majority Leader after 16 years in elected office Congresswoman Peltola has a record of not showing up or delivering for Alaskans. And when the cameras are off, her character is really revealed, and it is not good. There's no doubt we have challenges right now, particularly the high cost of energy. But the best way to address that is to produce more Alaskan energy buying for Alaskans. She's not for that. I am. But we also have generational opportunities before us that I've been honored to lead on. The gas line, the energy resurgence on the North Slope, the biggest military buildup in our state's history, redesigning an entire health care system that works for Alaska. Alaskans are the hardest working people in the world. They need a senator who works hard with them and delivers for them. I'll continue to do that. I'd be honored by your vote. All right.

Moderator ▶ 58:17

Thanks to our candidates and reporters, Liz Ruskin and Will Courtney. That concludes debate for the state for Alaska's U.S. Senate seat. Election day is November 3rd. For Alaska's news source, KTOO and Alaska Public Media, good night.