NEW: Dems’ Senate Hopes Take Major Blow

Democrats’ hopes of flipping an Alaska Senate seat took a major hit after Sen. Lisa Murkowski threw her support behind Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, closing ranks just days after Democrat Mary Peltola entered the race.

Peltola announced Monday that she is running for U.S. Senate, setting up a high-profile challenge to Sullivan. The former congresswoman served one partial and one full term in the House before narrowly losing her seat in 2024, making her the first Alaska Native elected to Congress.

Democrats quickly hailed her candidacy as one of their best chances to flip a seat in a cycle where they face long odds to retake the Senate. Political analyst Nate Silver said in a social media post last week that Peltola’s run moves Alaska from a long-shot to plausible for Democrats.

But that optimism took a hit when Murkowski, Alaska’s longtime political power broker, announced Thursday she is backing Sullivan, a move that shores up Republican unity and undercuts Democratic momentum.

“We’ve had a pretty solid team here in the Senate for the past 12 years, so we want to figure out how we’re going to keep in the majority,” Murkowski said. “And Dan delivers that.”

The endorsement is especially damaging for Democrats because Murkowski previously backed Peltola in past races, despite their party differences. Murkowski declined to take sides before Christmas, leaving Democrats hopeful she might again break ranks. Instead, she closed the door on that possibility.

Sullivan, who already has President Donald Trump’s endorsement, has raised $6 million this cycle and remains tightly aligned with Trump. His 2020 race was one of the most expensive in Alaska history, with more than $57 million spent by campaigns and outside groups. He won that contest comfortably despite being outspent.

Peltola launched her campaign with a video centered on her family and Alaska roots, reviving her slogan Fish, family, freedom. She also invoked Alaska’s bipartisan past.

“Ted Stevens often said, ‘To hell with politics. Put Alaska first,’” Peltola said in the video. “It’s about time Alaskans teach the rest of the country what Alaska first and, really, America first looks like.”

Sullivan, meanwhile, has moved to blunt some of Peltola’s policy turf. He recently voted to extend health insurance subsidies and is promoting a bill aimed at limiting bycatch, the accidental capture of salmon by the pollock fleet, a major issue for Alaska fishing communities.

Still, Murkowski’s endorsement gives Sullivan a major boost in a state where her support has long been decisive, especially among moderate and independent voters.

Both parties are expected to spend heavily. The contest begins with a nonpartisan primary in August, where the top four candidates will advance to a ranked-choice general election in November.

Peltola lost her House seat to Republican Nick Begich in 2024, falling just short with nearly 49% of the vote to his 51%. Now she faces a tougher climb against a well-funded incumbent backed by both Trump and Alaska’s most influential senator.

For Democrats hoping Alaska would be their surprise Senate pickup, Murkowski’s move just made that path far steeper.

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