Alaska Senate Race Heats Up as Candidates Clash Over Staff Abuse Allegations

Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan said allegations that former Rep. Mary Peltola verbally abused and physically shoved staff members are "very disturbing" and reflect a character issue. The claims, detailed in a New York Times report, describe angry outbursts, profanity, slurs and an incident in which Peltola allegedly pushed a male employee when she could not locate a memo. The article also noted a request that aides feed live crickets to the family’s pet chameleon.

Peltola’s campaign denied some of the accusations but acknowledged that she struggled with grief after losing her mother and husband in 2023 while serving in Congress. Campaign spokesperson Harry Child said the period was "the hardest" of her life and that exaggerating isolated incidents was "wrong."

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who previously supported Peltola, said parts of the Times story were "inflamatory" and emphasized the pressure Peltola faced after the death of her husband in a 2023 plane crash. Murkowski added that the circumstances were "hard for anybody to bear."

The dispute comes as Alaska’s Senate race, which could determine control of the U.S. Senate, draws national attention. Peltola won the state’s all-party primary with 49.5% of the vote, but she lost her 2024 House race. The November ballot will also include two other Republican candidates, raising concerns about voter confusion.

The outcome may influence the Democratic Party’s hopes of flipping the seat, a prospect that has not occurred since 2008.