Sullivan, Peltola Trade Barbs in Fiery Final Alaska Senate Debate

Incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan and former Democratic Representative Mary Peltola engaged in a contentious final debate Thursday, trading sharp accusations on issues ranging from corruption and personal conduct to military spending.

The Alaska Senate race, rated a "toss-up" by Fox News Power Rankings, has emerged as a surprisingly close contest in a state historically leaning Republican.

Corruption and Character Accusations

Peltola frequently targeted Sullivan, labeling him a "D.C. insider" who had enriched himself during his tenure. She pointed to his increased net worth since entering Washington and accused him of prioritizing personal gain over Alaskans' needs.

Sullivan countered by highlighting Peltola's extensive lobbying career after her previous time in office. "There's nothing more rigged than a member of Congress getting fired and then immediately walking through the revolving door to cash in," Sullivan stated, accusing her of "selling her knowledge of D.C."

Peltola defended her lobbying work, asserting it was for the benefit of Alaskans, and reiterated her claim that Sullivan had become wealthier while in office.

Staff Allegations Surface

An exchange escalated when Sullivan brought up a New York Times report detailing allegations from anonymous former staffers who claimed Peltola had mistreated employees, including accusations of physical and emotional abuse and the use of slurs. Sullivan characterized these reports as revealing a "character flaw."

Peltola disputed the allegations, calling them "gossip" and "unfounded." Her campaign acknowledged that some behavior occurred during a period of personal grief following the deaths of her mother and husband in 2023, but her spokesman stated that several claims were disputed. Moderators intervened to restore order as the candidates interrupted each other.

Military Pay and Healthcare

A significant point of contention arose over a vote concerning military pay. Sullivan accused Peltola of voting against a pay raise for service members due to a provision related to transgender medical procedures. "My opponent, did vote against our military, did vote against pay raise for our troops because she wanted more transgender surgeries for our troops," Sullivan claimed.

Peltola vehemently denied this, stating that her initial vote was against "trick language" in the defense bill that could have restricted healthcare for soldiers if they were stationed in states without access to reproductive healthcare. She asserted that she had voted in favor of troops' pay on three other occasions.

Debate Dynamics

The debate also featured moments where Sullivan questioned if Peltola had received the debate questions in advance, after she appeared to read from a paper while responding to a question about affordability. Moderators confirmed neither candidate had received questions beforehand.

Near the debate's conclusion, both candidates were asked to offer a positive remark about their opponent. Sullivan thanked Peltola for attending his Marine Corps retirement ceremony. Peltola complimented Sullivan's daughters.