A popular Alaska congresswoman who narrowly lost re-election last year is expected to jump into the race for Sen. Dan Sullivan’s seat later this month, tossing a firecracker into the already chaotic scramble for control of the upper chamber set to play out in 2026.
Mary Peltola was defeated in her bid to represent Alaska’s at-large congressional district for a second term in 2024, with her Republican opponent winning by slightly more than two percentage points. That defeat came amid a wave election year that devastated the Democratic caucuses in the House and Senate, and showed the congresswoman’s formidable electoral strength relative to her party’s national brand.