Former Rep. Mary Peltola is rejecting support from former Vice President Kamala Harris as she challenges Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) in the high-profile Alaska Senate race.
Harris earlier this week sent out a fundraising email soliciting donations for both the former vice president and Peltola.
“If there’s anyone who can flip Alaska and secure the Senate majority for Democrats — it’s Mary,” the email says.
But Peltola, who flipped Alaska’s at-large congressional seat in 2022, said she wasn’t interested in the support from Harris, or anyone outside of Alaska, for that matter.
“Mary isn’t seeking endorsements from anyone from the Lower 48 — her focus is and always will be Alaska,” a campaign spokeswoman said, reported by KTUU in Anchorage.
Republicans chided Peltola for the email, though her campaign said she did not approve the email, according to the New York Times. Harris did not explicitly endorse Peltola in the email.
“Mary Peltola is an ineffective radical leftist who worked hand in hand with Kamala Harris to put Alaska last, so it’s no surprise that Harris is backing Peltola,” National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Nick Puglia said in a statement.
The NRSC also noted that Peltola defended former President Joe Biden by saying that his “mental acuity is very, very on” amid questions of Biden’s cognitive health in 2024.
The New York Times also reported that Harris sent out a fundraising email for Peltola when she launched her campaign in January 2026.
Peltola did not back Harris for president in 2024, and President Donald Trump went on to win Alaska by 13 points. Peltola lost reelection by 2 points, but her 2022 victory marked the first time a Democrat won the congressional seat in 50 years.
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She faces Sullivan and a flurry of other candidates, including another candidate named Dan Sullivan, in Tuesday’s primary. The top four vote-getters will advance to the November election, where it will be decided via ranked choice. Peltola is hoping to become the first Alaska Democrat elected to the Senate since 2008.
The race is expected to be an expensive affair. The GOP-aligned Senate Leadership Fund already has $17 million worth of ads reserved in the Last Frontier, while its Democratic counterpart, Senate Majority PAC, has more than $10 million booked of future ads.