Alaska Senate Race Heats Up After Prominent Democrat Enters Contest

Former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) entered the United States Senate race in Alaska on Monday, which likely made the 2026 race against Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan more competitive.

Shortly after her announcement, the Cook Political Report moved the race from solid Republican to lean Republican.

“My agenda for Alaska will always be fish, family, and freedom,” she said in a video. “But our future also depends on fixing the rigged system in DC that’s shutting down Alaska while politicians feather their own nest.”

The announcement quickly appeared on the national radar, with the National Republican Senatorial Committee launching a digital ad against the Democrat.

“Peltola rubber-stamped Biden’s Alaska last policies and didn’t get a single bill signed into law,” the ad states. “Mary Peltola. Still radical. Still ineffective. Still Alaska Last.”

“After voters rejected Mary Peltola’s record pushing radical transgender policies and protecting Joe Biden’s relentless attacks on Alaska energy, she immediately cashed out to lobby for special interests,” NRSC Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia said in a statement regarding the advertisement. “Voters trust Dan Sullivan to keep fighting for the Alaskan comeback and will reject Peltola again.”

On the flip side, it was welcomed news to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which posted to X that “Mary has always been a champion for Alaskans, focusing on her core values of fish, family, and freedom. This November, she’s going to win this seat.”

Statements from both committees could indicate that resources will be poured into the race, as Republicans currently hold 53 seats and Democrats hold 45, with two independents caucusing with Democrats.

The Cook Political Report has the Georgia, Michigan, Maine, and North Carolina Senate races ranked as toss-ups. Meanwhile, New Hampshire is rated as “Lean Democrat,” and Ohio is also rated with Alaska as “Lean Republican.”

Peltola was in Congress from 2022 to 2025, succeeding late Republican Rep. Don Young. Alaska uses a ranked-choice voting system, which led to her defeating former Republican Gov. Sarah Palin in the third round in 2022 with just under 55% of the vote, and then losing to Rep. Nick Begich III in 2024, who won with just over 51%.

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who was re-elected in 2022, said she would back Sullivan.

“We’ve had a pretty solid team here in the Senate for the past 12 years, so we want to figure out how we’re going to keep in the majority,” the Senator said, according to Alaska Public Media. “And Dan delivers that.”