Alaska Senate Candidate Faces Scrutiny Over Past Behavior
Mary Peltola, the Democratic candidate for the Senate in Alaska, has come under fire following a revealing profile in the New York Times on September 23. The article highlighted allegations of aggressive outbursts, physical altercations, and derogatory language during her tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Peltola is contending against Republican Senator Dan Sullivan in the upcoming November election, which current polling suggests remains competitive.
The report detailed accounts from former aides who recounted “angry and profane outbursts.” One incident mentioned involved Peltola allegedly pushing an aide, with several witnesses corroborating the event. Furthermore, four ex-staff members reported that they had heard her use slurs, including “faggot,” even within her staff, a claim her campaign has denied. She was also reported to have used the term “retarded,” according to former aides and messages reviewed by the publication.
A total of nine former staffers spoke to the Times, all requesting anonymity.
During her time in office, Peltola’s office had one of the highest turnover rates in Congress, and she has reportedly missed numerous votes.
In response to the allegations, her campaign stated that her outbursts could be attributed to personal losses, as both her mother and husband passed away in 2023. Spokesman Harry Child explained, “At the time of their passing, Mary was parenting kids through their own grief, serving full-time in the U.S. House of Representatives thousands of miles from home, and running a competitive re-election campaign—all while shouldering the enormous burden of grief. Like any person who has gone through multiple personal tragedies in the span of a few months, Mary sometimes struggled to deal with her grief.”
The report claims that Peltola shoved a male staff member over a missing meeting memo, causing him to stumble. The aide left her office not long after the incident.
In another notable instance, Peltola expressed frustration regarding Planned Parenthood after voting on a defense bill, stating, “FUCK THOSE BITCHES.” She added, “I hope Planned Parenthood knows that if we don’t win it’s more their loss than ours.”
She further sent a text about a local Planned Parenthood board member wishing harm upon her, indicating a severed endorsement from the organization for her 2026 campaign.
Additionally, Peltola reportedly texted disdainfully about a fisheries executive who had posted a selfie with her, using derogatory language. Despite focusing her campaign on fishing issues, she has not sponsored any legislation relating to the sector during her time in Congress.
Reports of low morale within her campaign have emerged, prompting intervention from Washington Democrats who have sought to reorganize the team, resulting in the termination of two long-serving aides and a demotion of her chief of staff.
Alex Latcham, Executive Director of the Senate Leadership Fund, commented on the situation, stating that Peltola’s closest aides described a troubling history of physical violence and concerning attitudes toward Alaskans, declaring her unfit for the U.S. Senate. He added, “Peltola’s deeply offensive and disturbing comments do not represent the Alaska way, and she must publicly apologize to her staff and the people of Alaska.”
