Sullivan and Peltola Launch General Election Campaigns Following Alaska Primary Victories

Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola emerged from Tuesday’s Alaska primary as frontrunners in one of the nation’s most competitive Senate races, immediately escalating their attacks on each other’s records and policy positions. With national implications for control of the upper chamber, both candidates have already demonstrated substantial fundraising advantages and name recognition that position them as the leading contenders heading into November’s general election.

Sullivan, a military veteran and Trump ally seeking a third term, centered his campaign on military support, expanded oil and gas development, and backing the president’s tax legislation. He questioned Peltola’s effectiveness during her single term in Congress and attempted to link her to what he characterized as left-leaning national Democratic priorities, while claiming his office has “gotten big things done” for the state.

Peltola, who made history in 2022 as Alaska’s first Native American elected to Congress, has sought to maintain a centrist position and revived her original campaign messaging of “fish, family, freedom.” She criticized Sullivan’s support for Trump administration policies, citing federal workforce reductions and arguing that his tax legislation failed to benefit working Alaskans, accusing him of prioritizing corporate interests over ordinary citizens.

Under Alaska’s open primary system, four candidates from each race advance to a ranked-choice general election. In the House race, Republican Nick Begich and independent Bill Hill qualified. In the gubernatorial contest, two Democrats—former lawmakers Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and Tom Begich, Nick Begich’s uncle—advanced in a wide-open race after Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy became ineligible due to term limits.

An unusual subplot emerged when Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher and Republican unaffiliated with the incumbent senator, won a legal challenge to appear on the ballot despite allegations from the senator and GOP officials that he was a Democratic plant designed to create voter confusion. The Petersburg resident denied such claims, stating genuine dissatisfaction with the incumbent motivated his candidacy.

Voters also approved a ballot measure Tuesday to reinstate campaign contribution limits, reversing a federal appeals court decision from five years earlier that had eliminated numerous financial caps on campaign donations.