Sabato’s Crystal Ball Shifts Alaska Senate Race to Leans Democrat
Mary Peltola leads some polls in the Alaska Senate race as financial disclosures highlight a wealth gap between her and incumbent Dan Sullivan.
Sabato’s Crystal Ball shifted the rating for the Alaska Senate race from toss-up to leans Democrat following polling data suggesting former Rep. Mary Peltola could defeat incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan. A New York Times/Siena poll shows Peltola leading by 7 points, though other polls from Quantus Insight, Trafalgar Group, and co/efficient show the candidates neck-and-neck or Sullivan with a slight lead.
Peltola, a centrist and Alaska Native, is campaigning on resource problems and corporate interests. In contrast, Sullivan has focused on energy costs and his legislative record. He has received support from President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, the latter of whom recently announced a $400 million investment for the Railbelt Transmission Project to lower power costs.
Recent financial disclosures have highlighted a significant wealth gap between the candidates. Sullivan reported assets between $1 million and $5 million in RPM International stock, while Peltola reported assets as low as $47,000. Progressives have used these disparities to characterize Republican incumbents as elites, while Republicans argue that personal wealth does not influence legislative decision-making. Peltola and independent House candidate Bill Hill are both drawing weekly salaries from their campaigns to cover living expenses.
