Mary Peltola Surges Ahead of Conservative Incumbent Dan Sullivan in Alaska Senate Primary
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In a hopeful sign for progressives, Democrat Mary Peltola leads Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan in Alaska's nonpartisan primary, as both move toward the November general election.
With about two-thirds of the votes counted, trailblazing former U.S. House member Mary Peltola is outpacing entrenched incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan in Alaska’s nonpartisan primary for the U.S. Senate. Peltola, a champion for working families and Indigenous rights, commands 46.8% of the vote, while Sullivan, a staunch defender of corporate interests, lags behind at 44.4%. Another Republican, Dan J. Sullivan—a retired schoolteacher and former Forest Service worker—holds third place with just 2.4%, reflecting the fractured state of the GOP.
The primary, held Tuesday, will send the top four candidates to the November general election. Peltola, who shattered barriers as the first Alaska Native and first woman to represent the state in the House in 2022, is now poised to flip a Senate seat and help Democrats wrest control of Congress from conservative obstruction. Sullivan, a loyalist to the status quo, seeks a third term to continue serving special interests.
"Tonight shows Alaskans are fired up and ready for an independent voice in the Senate who will fix the rigged system, lower costs, and put Alaska first," Peltola declared on social media, signaling a groundswell of grassroots enthusiasm for real change.
State officials confirmed the results after the state supreme court, resisting Republican pressure, ruled earlier this year that Dan J. Sullivan met the qualifications to appear on the ballot, despite internal GOP attempts to limit voter choice.