JUNEAU, Alaska — U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola of Alaska catapulted herself into office in 2022 with a campaign that emphasized decency in politics. She became the first Alaskan native in Congress and the first Democrat in 50 years to hold the state’s only seat in the House of Representatives.
But as she fights for re-election, she faces some of the pitfalls that come with taking a centrist position in today’s polarized political landscape.
Weeks before Tuesday’s primary, she faced backlash on social media after telling reporters she was “unbiased” about the presidential race and declined to endorse presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, and was forced to clarify that she would not, in fact, vote for former President Donald Trump.
She further angered some of her supporters when she voted with Republicans for a resolution condemning Vice President Harris’ role in the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S. border with Mexico.
“As far as the president goes, my opinion is irrelevant,” Peltola told the Associated Press. “We’re not a swing state; we’re very, very far from being anywhere near a swing state. So if people are demanding a certain response, that’s a waste of energy.” She said she would not endorse anyone.
The primary – in which Peltola faces 11 challengers, including Republicans Nick Begich and Nancy Dahlstrom, the lieutenant governor endorsed by Trump – will set the stage for what is expected to be a hotly contested race in November that could help determine who holds the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. Under Alaska’s open primary system, the four candidates with the most votes advance to the ranked-choice general election.
Only the frontrunners – Peltola, Dahlstrom and Begich – have reported raising money.
So far, the pace of this year’s campaign stands in sharp contrast to the wild scramble two years ago sparked by the death of Republican U.S. Rep. Don Young, who held Alaska’s House seat for 49 years. Nearly 50 candidates, including 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, ran in a special primary to replace him.
Peltola, who is Yup’ik and previously served in the state legislature as a rural community representative, won the special general election and was able to serve the remainder of Young’s term. She later won a full term, portraying herself as a consensus builder and championing a platform of “fish, family and freedom.”
This year, Alaska also adopted its voter-approved open primary and ranked-choice voting system for the general election. Supporters and critics of the system cite Peltola’s success as a reason they believe it works or should be abolished.
Supporters of ranked-choice voting say it offers voters more choice and rewards candidates who appeal to a broader segment of the electorate. Opponents say it is confusing and pushes voters to evaluate candidates they don’t support.
Begich, a businessman who finished behind Peltola and Palin in 2022, is running with the backing of numerous local Republican groups, while Dahlstrom has the support of House Speaker Mike Johnson and other prominent Republicans in the House.
By supporting Dahlstrom, Trump blamed Begich for the Republicans’ 2022 election defeat. That year, Begich railed against Palin, and Trump and Palin criticized ranked-choice voting—Trump called it a “fixed deal.”
Begich comes from a family of prominent Democrats, including his late grandfather, who held the House seat before Young. He said he would resign if he finishes behind Dahlstrom on Tuesday, and framed his pledge as a way to drum up Republican interest in the primary. He also said having more than one Republican in the race in November could undermine Republican efforts to reclaim the seat.
Dahlstrom has not made a similar commitment, but said that once the results are in, she plans to speak with Begich, Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy and the chairman of the state Republican Party to analyze “who got what and what it takes in terms of the number of votes to have a conservative in this district.”
The majority of registered voters in Alaska are not affiliated with any party, a fact Peltola cites as a reason why she does not express support for her constituents.
“I just think it’s important for people to make up their own minds,” she said. The last time Alaska had a Democratic presidential candidate was in 1964.
At a recent Peltola campaign rally in Juneau, Democratic voter Kiernan Riley, a member of the LGBTQ community, waited while Peltola made the rounds so they could ask questions about Trump. Riley said they found Trump’s positions offensive.
While Riley said they didn’t need Peltola to support Harris, they wanted to know her stance on Trump before deciding whether to hang a large Peltola campaign sign on their fence.
Riley said they immediately felt better when they heard about Peltola.
“I understand the complexity of being a Democrat in a red state,” Riley said.
