Alaska Senate Election Winner

Alaska's record-breaking Senate race between Democrat Mary Peltola and Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan has taken a new turn as the Justice Department filed a lawsuit seeking to block certification of results if anyone other than Sullivan wins. The DOJ argues a same-named candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., could confuse the outcome, though the ballot lists the senator's party and incumbent status. Peltola called the suit a "desperate attempt" to cling to power; election integrity advocates and Democratic leaders, including Sen. Chuck Schumer, condemned it as an unprecedented intervention. The lawsuit adds legal uncertainty to a contest already defined by record spending and viewed as pivotal to Senate control.

Peltola has outraised Sullivan roughly $32 million to $13 million since January, with outside groups adding over $80 million more, as early voting continues ahead of the ranked-choice general election.

Vice President JD Vance campaigned in Fairbanks on Monday for Senator Dan Sullivan, framing Alaska as a crucial firewall for Republicans as they fight to keep control of Congress in the November 3 midterms. Sullivan, a close Trump ally, faces a tighter-than-expected race against Democrat Mary Peltola, who is running on a "Fish, Family and Freedom" platform that casts Sullivan as too tied to Trump and outside interests. A recent New York Times poll showed Peltola with a lead, though the state's rural population makes polling difficult.

Vance and Trump have cast the midterms as a referendum on the administration, touring battleground and traditionally safe states alike. Sullivan has tied his campaign to energy policy, touting a $200 billion Alaska energy investment package backed by Trump, including a South Korea-linked pipeline project, and $150 million in newly announced federal funding for electrical transmission upgrades. He has also pushed for a ban on diesel exports as fuel prices climb amid ongoing global conflicts. Cost-of-living concerns remain central to the race in a state where energy costs run higher than the national average.

Alaska voters headed to the polls Tuesday in primaries shaping contests for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor and the legislature, alongside a Florida primary seen as an early indicator for control of Congress. The marquee Alaska race pits Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan against Democratic former Rep. Mary Peltola, one of 16 candidates in the all-party primary; the top four finishers advance to a November general election decided by ranked choice voting. A same-named challenger, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., also qualified for the ballot after Republicans failed in court to remove him, and the Justice Department is reportedly investigating whether he entered the race to confuse voters and split support from the incumbent.

Rep. Nick Begich is seeking a second term against independent challenger Bill Hill, while 17 candidates compete to succeed term-limited Gov. Mike Dunleavy. Voters are also deciding a ballot measure on campaign contribution limits. Some polls show Peltola leading in a state that typically favors Republicans, and Democrats view Alaska as a key opportunity as they seek to flip four seats to win Senate control.

Alaska Democrat Mary Peltola, running to unseat Sen. Dan Sullivan in one of the midterms' most closely watched Senate races, is facing scrutiny after a New York Times investigation detailed a pattern of volatile behavior toward staff dating back to her time in the U.S. House. Nine former aides told the Times that Peltola directed profane outbursts at staff, including one incident in which she reportedly shoved a male aide on his chest, and that she used slurs, including an offensive term for gay people and "retard," on multiple occasions, allegations her campaign has denied or disputed while acknowledging some language. Aides also described her disparaging Planned Parenthood in a text message during a 2024 vote dispute, and some recounted being asked to feed her family's pet chameleon while she traveled.

The report says low morale culminated in a major campaign shake-up in August, just before Alaska's top-four primary, in which her campaign manager was fired and her chief of staff demoted, with two longtime political contractors also reassigned or dismissed. Peltola's campaign attributed any behavioral lapses to grief following the deaths of her mother and husband in 2023, denying claims of mistreatment. Peltola finished first in the August primary, keeping Alaska's Senate race, complicated by ranked-choice voting and other candidates on the ballot, among the contests likely to determine Senate control.

Alaska's Senate contest between Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan and Democratic challenger Mary Peltola has become one of the most competitive races in the country, with control of the Senate potentially hinging on the outcome. Peltola, a former U.S. representative and Alaska Native, has led narrowly in polling and outperformed Sullivan in the August primary, despite Alaska backing Trump by 14 points in 2024. The state's large bloc of nonpartisan and undeclared voters — a majority of the electorate — could prove decisive.

Interviews with voters in Anchorage and Palmer show independents largely favoring Peltola, drawn to her working-class image and personal ties to subsistence fishing, while Republicans back Sullivan over party loyalty and economic concerns like oil and gas jobs. Commercial trawling and its impact on salmon populations have become central campaign issues, particularly for Native Alaskan communities. The race also features a same-named third-party candidate, Sullivan a retired teacher, adding confusion to the ranked-choice ballot. Sen. Lisa Murkowski's independent brand looms large as a reference point for voters weighing Peltola's crossover appeal.

Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola and her family suffered minor injuries Saturday night when their vehicle was rear-ended at an Anchorage intersection while traveling to a campaign event, her campaign said. Peltola's campaign manager, Cheryl Bruce, said the family is "in good spirits" but that Peltola rescheduled appearances in Fairbanks and Bethel on medical advice, delaying the planned start of her "Alaska Always Tour." Other campaign stops are continuing as scheduled. Peltola faces Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan in a closely watched race that could help determine Senate control, with the ballot also including Gerald Heikes and a non-party-affiliated candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., whose candidacy has drawn criticism from Republicans, including President Trump, as a potential source of voter confusion.

Alaska's ranked-choice voting system, adopted for state and federal elections, continues to face criticism after its first two election cycles were marked by complexity, delays, and voter confusion. Critics argue the system has produced convoluted outcomes and undermined confidence in results, pointing to issues like vote splitting among candidates from the same party and lengthy tabulation processes before winners are declared.

The debate has intensified around Alaska's high-profile U.S. Senate race, where Democrat Mary Peltola advanced to a four-candidate general election against Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan after finishing ahead of him in the primary, a contest that could affect control of the Senate. Peltola's candidacy has drawn scrutiny over her attendance record in past legislative roles, adding another layer to a race already being watched as a test of how ranked-choice voting shapes competitive outcomes. Supporters of the system defend it as a tool to reduce polarization and encourage coalition-building, while detractors, including Republican officials, argue it has instead created procedural headaches, making Alaska's experience a closely watched case nationally.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has directed the Department of Public Safety to investigate allegations that staff for Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee recruited namesake challenger Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. to siphon votes from Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan. The probe follows New York Times reporting, partly based on a since-retracted account from Peltola's fired former campaign manager, Elisa Rios, describing an internal "ballot composition" effort allegedly involving Peltola's campaign lawyers and senior DSCC aides. The Peltola campaign and DSCC deny involvement, with Peltola calling the controversy "a distraction"; the retired Petersburg teacher also denies running at Democrats' behest, though he has acknowledged a history of backing Peltola and other Democrats.

President Trump called for Peltola's prosecution and removal from the ballot, and the Justice Department has issued fresh subpoenas to Democratic officials believed to be involved in the recruitment effort, building on an existing U.S. Attorney's Office inquiry into Daniel J. Sullivan dating back to summer. The DOJ has also sued to block certification if Sullivan narrowly loses, arguing the scheme amounts to a "conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the electoral process"; Alaska moved to dismiss that suit, calling it meritless, and a federal judge set an expedited schedule with a ruling possible within days. The Alaska Supreme Court previously rejected efforts to remove the challenger Sullivan from the ballot. Sen. Lisa Murkowski joined other Republicans condemning the alleged scheme as voters rank Sen. Sullivan, Peltola, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., and Gerald Heikes on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Dunleavy has declined to commit to certifying the election if Peltola wins while the investigation is ongoing, saying any finding of illegal conduct "may in fact impact whether somebody is seated in the U.S. Senate" and that officials would weigh whether to involve Senate leadership. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer has demanded testimony from operatives named in the reporting and threatened subpoenas of his own. Dunleavy's term ends Dec. 7, shortly after Alaska's target date for certifying results.

Florida's primaries produced a mixed picture for both parties ahead of November's general election. Rep. Byron Donalds won the Republican gubernatorial nomination with Trump's endorsement and a large financial edge, beating Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former House Speaker Paul Renner and newcomer James Fishback despite Gov. Ron DeSantis's public misgivings; Donalds would become Florida's first Black governor if elected. Former Republican congressman David Jolly, running with Gwen Graham as his lieutenant governor pick, won the Democratic nomination over state Rep. Dotie Joseph and others, pitching himself as a centrist who wants to end the culture wars. The two will meet in November to succeed the term-limited DeSantis, in a state where Democrats haven't won the governorship in over 30 years.

Progressive state Rep. Angie Nixon defeated establishment-backed Alex Vindman for the Senate Democratic nomination despite being outspent; she faces Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, who won her primary with Trump's backing, in the special election for Marco Rubio's former seat. Incumbents Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Jared Moskowitz turned back challengers, including Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, in redrawn districts under Florida's new Republican-favored congressional map. Trump-endorsed Cory Mills lost his House primary amid domestic violence allegations, while far-right figures Dan Bilzerian and Madison Cawthorn were also defeated, alongside Rep. Randy Fine's contentious win.

Two new polls paint conflicting pictures of Alaska's U.S. Senate race between Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, underscoring how tight the contest is expected to be. An AARP Voter Survey conducted by Fabrizio Ward and Impact Research found Peltola leading Sullivan 46 to 41 percent in first-choice votes, with the margin widening to 53-47 percent for Peltola once ranked-choice allocations were applied. A separate Co/Efficient poll, however, showed Sullivan ahead 49 to 46 percent, and found him with a more favorable personal image than Peltola.

Alaska's ranked-choice voting system, adopted by voters in 2020, is expected to play a significant role in the outcome. Republicans currently hold three of four spots on the general election ballot after a crowded Democratic primary field. The AARP poll also showed Democrats with a wider disapproval gap than Republicans statewide, while independents leaned toward Peltola. The split results highlight the race's status as one of the most closely watched Senate contests heading into the election.