Alaska Democratic Senate Hopeful Mary Peltola Injured in Car Crash
Peltola's campaign events postponed following Saturday incident.
Alaska Democratic Senate hopeful Mary Peltola sustained minor injuries in a car accident on Saturday, forcing her to postpone campaign events. Peltola, 53, was en route to the Alaska Federation of Natives Annual Banquet when her vehicle collided with another car. Her campaign confirmed she and her family are in good spirits despite the incident.
"Mary is disappointed that the accident is delaying the start of her Alaska Always Tour, and she is eager to get back on the campaign trail to speak directly with Alaskans about her plan to take on the rigged system and lower costs for working families," said campaign manager Cheryl Bruce in a statement.
Peltola was in the midst of an eight-day "Alaska Always Tour" in the final days leading up to the Nov. 3 election. The race for Alaska's Senate seat is considered a toss-up by Cook Political Report, with Peltola holding a slim 1.2 percentage point lead over incumbent Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, according to RealClearPolitics.
The election has also been marked by the presence of another candidate, Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher who critics have dubbed "Decoy Dan" due to his similar name to the incumbent. The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit seeking to block the certification of the race if Sen. Sullivan loses, citing concerns related to "Decoy Dan."