Mary Peltola Cuts Alaska Tour Short After Anchorage Collision

Democratic Senate nominee Mary Peltola is recovering from minor injuries sustained in a two-vehicle collision in Anchorage on Saturday night.

The crash occurred near the Alaska Federation of Natives convention. Peltola and her family were traveling to the organization’s annual banquet when another car struck their vehicle, according to her campaign. Campaign manager Cheryl Bruce said the family is in good spirits but following medical advice to rest.

Because of the accident, Peltola will skip planned events in Fairbanks and Bethel. Those appearances, part of her Alaska Always Tour, have been moved to later in the week. Bruce said Peltola is disappointed by the delay but eager to return to the trail to discuss her plan to lower costs for working families.

The pause in travel lands during a tight race against incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. Both candidates are competing heavily for the support of Alaska Native voters. Peltola, a former congresswoman, is seeking to become the first Democrat to represent the state in the Senate in nearly two decades.

Political tensions in the contest have intensified this week. President Donald Trump, who rallied for Sullivan earlier in the month, announced on Friday that his administration would sue to block certification of the race if the incumbent loses. The legal challenge cites a ranked-choice ballot that lists a second candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. alongside the sitting senator.

Trump called the ballot design a Democratic effort to confuse voters. In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, he argued that the measure is a scam meant to divert votes from the incumbent. He urged Alaskans to vote yes against ranked-choice voting on Ballot Measure 2 to save the seat.

Financially, the race remains closely contested. Peltola has raised $33 million compared to Sullivan’s $14 million through October. However, Sullivan holds more cash on hand, with $5.1 million remaining versus Peltola’s $3.2 million. Republicans have outspent Democrats $42 million to $38 million.

The next scheduled campaign events will take place later this week as both teams prepare for the November midterm vote.