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Voters in Alaska are deciding between incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic challenger Mary Peltola in the state’s closely watched Senate race.
Sullivan, a two-term senator, is backed by President Donald Trump and Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
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Peltola, who represented Alaska in the House of Representatives from 2022 to 2025 and narrowly lost reelection in 2024, entered the race in January at Senate Democrats’ urging and is running on affordability. Alaska’s top-four primary and ranked-choice general election voting rules, which helped Peltola win in 2022, remain in place.
On Oct. 22, at Trump’s urging, the Department of Justice sued Alaska’s Division of Elections in federal court, asking a judge to block certification of the Senate race if Peltola narrowly wins. The suit accused a third candidate, Dan J. Sullivan, of running with the intention of misleading and confusing the Republican senator’s supporters, which the newcomer Sullivan denies. A federal judge dismissed the Trump administration’s lawsuit on Sunday.
READ MORE: In an Alaska fishing community, the Dan Sullivan episode takes an ominous turn
The New York Times reported that Democrats and Peltola’s campaign were involved in recruiting candidates named Dan Sullivan to run. The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation and Peltola has denied knowledge of the recruitment efforts.
— Matt Loffman
