Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola moved quickly this week to distance herself from former Vice President Kamala Harris, whose 2024 White House bid ended in a double-digit defeat in the state.
In a fundraising appeal, Harris described Alaska as “a must-win Senate seat for Democrats to retake control of the Senate” and asked supporters to “help Mary Peltola get the support she needs” by splitting contributions between Peltola’s campaign and Harris’ Fight for the People PAC.
Harris went on to argue that Peltola is uniquely positioned to make the race competitive, writing, “So if there’s anyone who can flip Alaska and secure the Senate majority for Democrats – it’s Mary. But she cannot do it alone.”
“When we all stand behind Mary, we can give her the boost she needs to overcome their spending and organize across Alaska,” the former vice president added.
Peltola, the former congresswoman who turned Alaska’s at-large House seat blue in 2022, did not embrace the high-profile help from Harris.
“Mary isn’t seeking endorsements from anyone from the Lower 48 — her focus is and always will be Alaska,” a campaign spokeswoman told the New York Times.
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According to the Times, Peltola’s campaign had not signed off on the Harris fundraising email.
Harris lost Alaska to Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election by 14 percentage points.
Notably, Peltola did not endorse Harris in the 2024 race.
Republicans quickly moved to link Peltola to Harris after the email went out.
“Mary Peltola is an ineffective radical leftist who worked hand in hand with Kamala Harris to put Alaska last, so it’s no surprise that Harris is backing Peltola,” National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Nick Puglia said in a statement.
Peltola is one of several candidates challenging incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) in the Aug. 18 nonpartisan Senate primary.
The top four vote-getters in next week’s contest will advance to the November election.
Alaskans have not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 2008.
