Mary Sattler Peltola (born August 31, 1973, in Anchorage, Alaska) is an American leader, former legislator, and historic political figure running for the U.S. Senate in Alaska’s 2026 election. A member of the Yup’ik people, she became the first Alaska Native ever elected to the United States Congress, winning a 2022 special election for Alaska’s at-large House seat under the state’s ranked-choice voting system — a seat she held through 2025.
Before her congressional service, Peltola built a career focused on community and state politics, including service in the Alaska House of Representatives and other local roles, where she emphasized fisheries, rural issues, and subsistence rights. She earned a reputation as a moderate, independent-minded Democrat, often working across party lines on issues important to Alaskans, including indigenous rights, responsible resource development, and practical solutions for rural communities.
In 2024 she narrowly lost her bid for re-election to Alaska’s sole U.S. House seat, but her statewide profile and support among independent and cross-partisan voters remained strong. In January 2026, Peltola announced her campaign to challenge Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan, launching her bid with a focus on lowering living costs, protecting Alaska’s way of life, and giving Alaskans a stronger voice in Washington.
Key Issue Stances & Priorities
Mary Peltola positions her campaign around a blend of Alaska-specific priorities and broader national issues, rooted in her experience representing a vast, diverse state:
- Lowering Costs & Alaskan Priorities: Peltola’s campaign emphasizes making life more affordable in Alaska’s high-cost environment, from food and fuel to housing and healthcare, and restoring traditional subsistence access where possible.
- “Fish, Family & Freedom”: A slogan revived from her previous campaigns, this theme underscores her focus on protecting fisheries, supporting family-oriented policies, and emphasizing Alaskan independence and identity.
- Bipartisan, Independent Leadership: Known for bridging divides in a deeply red state, she frames herself as an independent problem-solver who puts Alaska first, not Washington partisanship.
- Responsible Resource Development: In Congress she supported responsible energy development, including backing major state energy projects that benefit local economies — aligning with Alaska’s resource-based economy.
- Reproductive Rights & Civil Liberties: Peltola has supported pro-choice policies and protections for women’s reproductive health.
- Environmental Conservation & Fisheries: She has worked on fisheries reform and sustainable practices vital to Alaska’s ecosystems and traditional ways of life.
- Gun Rights & Community Values: With strong local cultural ties to hunting and subsistence, she supports responsible gun ownership while backing common-sense safety measures.
Accomplishments & Experience
- Historic Firsts: First Alaska Native to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, and one of the few Democrats to win statewide office in modern Alaska history.
- Ranked-Choice Leadership: Won a 2022 special election and full House term in Alaska’s at-large seat under Alaska’s ranked-choice system — demonstrating strong cross-partisan appeal.
- Practical Legislative Track Record: In Congress, she worked on bills related to fisheries, veterans, infrastructure, and indigenous cultural preservation.
- Broad Appeal Across Alaska: Her moderate Democratic stances and willingness to work across party lines earned her support from a diverse spectrum of voters, including in rural and independent communities.
- Elevated Statewide Profile: Even after her 2024 House defeat, she remains a competitive statewide figure and a top Democratic recruit for a Senate challenge in a traditionally Republican state.
No one from the lower 48 is coming to save us…but, I know this in my bones: There is no group of people more ready to save ourselves than Alaskans.
- Mary Peltola