REPORT: Top Democrat Launching Senate Bid In Crucial State

Former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) is quietly laying the groundwork for a U.S. Senate run in Alaska, including interviewing potential campaign managers, Axios reported.

Peltola, a Democrat who lost her House seat last year, is expected to formally jump into the race against Sen. Dan Sullivan this month, according to two people familiar with the matter.

A Peltola bid would give Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer another target in 2026 as Democrats hunt for offensive opportunities on a brutal map.

Peltola won two House elections before narrowly losing in 2024 to Rep. Nick Begich under Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system. President Trump carried the state by 13 points in that election, underscoring the uphill climb for any Democrat statewide.

Still, Peltola has been actively interviewing prospective campaign managers, though she has been vague about whether the job would be for a Senate or gubernatorial campaign, according to one person familiar with the talks.

She has also told allies she is leaning toward a Senate run, according to Axios’ sources. Peltola and one of her top aides did not respond to requests for comment. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also declined to comment to the publication.

Peltola attends a pro-abortion rally in Anchorage, Alaska

Republicans are not waiting around. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has been preparing for months for Peltola to enter the race and is expected to roll out attack lines as soon as she announces.

Groups aligned with Schumer spent about $1.5 million last year trying to weaken Sullivan, including a Grinch-themed ad that accused him of driving up costs during the holidays.

After her 2024 loss, Peltola landed a job at Holland & Hart, a law firm with a lobbying practice, where she became senior director of Alaska affairs in March 2025.

Because of a one-year cooling-off period, she is barred from formally lobbying her former colleagues in Congress.

Schumer has been urging Peltola to take the plunge since the summer and believes there is a realistic path to victory.

Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system has already shown it can give Democrats an opening in a red-leaning state, especially if Republicans are divided.

So far, Sullivan has not drawn a serious primary challenger, leaving him focused on a potential general election fight that Democrats are eager to test.

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