Mary Peltola, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Alaska, has declined support from former Vice President Kamala Harris. The rejection comes as Peltola seeks to unseat incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan in the upcoming Aug. 18 nonpartisan Senate primary.
A fundraising email sent by Harris' campaign offered support for Peltola, framing the Alaska seat as crucial for Democrats to regain Senate control. The email urged supporters to donate to Peltola's campaign and Harris' Fight for the People PAC, stating that Peltola could "flip Alaska and secure the Senate majority for Democrats."
Peltola's campaign, however, stated that the former congresswoman is not seeking endorsements from outside Alaska. "Mary isn’t seeking endorsements from anyone from the Lower 48 — her focus is and always will be Alaska," a spokeswoman for Peltola told The New York Times. The campaign confirmed that it had not approved the fundraising email.
This situation has drawn a swift response from Republicans. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Nick Puglia issued a statement linking Peltola to Harris, characterizing Peltola as an "ineffective radical leftist" who has "worked hand in hand with Kamala Harris to put Alaska last."
Peltola previously won Alaska's at-large congressional seat in 2022, flipping it for Democrats. She is one of several candidates running in the primary, where the top four vote-getters will advance to the general election in November. Alaska has not elected a Democratic senator since 2008.