NEW: Dem Senate Candidate Attempts To Distance Herself From Kamala Harris

Former U.S. Representative Mary Peltola, the Democratic Party candidate for U.S. Senate in Alaska, has sought to distance her campaign from a recent fundraising email sent by former Vice President Kamala Harris’s political organization.

The email, which was sent by Harris’ Fight for the People PAC, referenced closely-watched Peltola’s Senate bid against incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and solicited joint contributions.

“Alaska is a must-win Senate seat for Democrats to retake control of the Senate,” the email read in part. It then urged recipients to “help Mary Peltola get the support she needs” by splitting a donation between Peltola’s campaign and the Fight for the People PAC.

“So if there’s anyone who can flip Alaska and secure the Senate majority for Democrats – it’s Mary. But she cannot do it alone,” the email went on. “When we all stand behind Mary, we can give her the boost she needs to overcome their spending and organize across Alaska.” Recipients were encouraged to “contribute $10 or whatever you can afford” and was signed with “Kamala Harris.”

In response, Peltola’s campaign stated that it had not approved the email and had no knowledge of it prior to its distribution.

Mary Peltola rejects endorsement from Kamala Harris Per NYT pic.twitter.com/CNrUK7gIAe

— OSZ (@OpenSourceZone) August 14, 2026

“Mary isn’t seeking endorsements from anyone from the Lower 48 — her focus is and always will be Alaska. That’s why she’s proud to have the endorsement of the American Federation of Government Employees, the Alaska American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, the Alaska International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1547 and more than 10,000 Alaskans who have signed up to volunteer with the campaign,” a spokesperson for Peltola’s campaign told local outlet KTUU.

The development occurred ahead of Alaska’s nonpartisan primary on August 18. Under the state’s election system, the top four candidates advance to the general election, which uses ranked-choice voting.

Peltola — who previously won Alaska’s at-large U.S. House seat in a 2022 special election and served one term — is the overwhelming favorite to advance to the general election alongside Sullivan. The projected race between the two is widely viewed as one of the more competitive Senate races in the upcoming midterm election cycle.

Recent polling averages place the candidates within a narrow margin of each other, with figures around 46 to 48 percent support for each in various aggregates. One Alaska Survey Research poll conducted in early August 2026 showed Peltola at 51 percent and Sullivan at 49 percent among likely voters. Other surveys, such as a New York Times/Siena College poll from June, had Sullivan ahead by a small margin.

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