Former Dem Rep. Mary Peltola announces U.S. Senate run: 'Put Alaska first'

Former Rep. Mary Peltola on Monday announced her intent to run for a U.S. Senate seat to represent Alaska, in a race to unseat two-term GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan.

In a two-minute video, Peltola cited "scarcity" and inflation as problems Alaskans currently face. 

"Growing up, Alaska was a place of abundance. Now, we have scarcity," Peltola said. "The salmon, large game, and migratory birds that used to fill our freezers are harder to find. So we buy more groceries, with crushing prices."

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Peltola previously served in the House as Alaska's lone representative. She won a special 2022 election and full term later that same year in which she defeated four other candidates, including former Gov. Sarah Palin.

She lost her House seat in 2024 to Republican challenger Nick Begich III. 

Peltola pointed to the state's two late Republicans as examples of what happened to lawmakers with agendas in Washington who put politics over the needs of the state. 

"Our delegation used to stand up to their party and put Alaska first," Peltola said. "Ted Stevens and Don Young ignored Lower 48 partisanship to fight for things like public media and disaster relief because Alaska depends on them."

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"Ted Stevens often said, ‘to hell with politics, put Alaska first'," she added. "It’s about time Alaskans teach the rest of the country what Alaska First and, really, America First looks like."

Peltola's announcement comes as Democrats are getting ready to try and take back both chambers of Congress in November's midterm elections. 

In a video last month posted online by the Democratic-aligned super PAC Senate Majority PAC, the group chided Sullivan for voting for higher costs for health care and other essentials. 

In response, Sullivan, while standing on skis, boasted about tax cuts and railed about Democrats and the Biden administration for policies he said didn't benefit Alaska. 

"They want what Democrats always want when they're in charge in D.C.," Sullivan said, referring to at least 70 executive orders signed by Biden that he said negatively impacted Alaska.