Democrat Mary Peltola, who is seeking Alaska’s Senate seat, has developed a reputation for using colorful and sometimes profanity-laced language.
In late September, nine former members of her staff spoke about their time working for her, portraying the candidate as someone who could be quick to anger.
Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan has attempted to turn those alleged outbursts into a campaign issue. Yet voters across Alaska appear largely unmoved by Peltola’s blunt rhetoric as the closely watched midterm contest could help decide which party controls Congress.
Leaked text messages showed Peltola reacting angrily to a campaign advertisement featuring her alongside a commercial fishing executive, according to The New York Times.
In the messages, she used an offensive slur to describe the executive and later wrote, “honestly, I nothing him,” an expression apparently intended to dismiss him, the newspaper reported.
Peltola’s campaign told the Times that she regretted the language and recognized that it was inappropriate.
The newspaper also reported that at least four former staffers said they heard Peltola use another homophobic slur, an allegation her campaign denied.
Sullivan has taken the report to campaign events, carrying a printed copy and accusing Peltola of disliking “her fellow Alaskans.” During a visit to the state, President Donald Trump also dismissed the Democratic candidate as a “nut job.”
Still, Don Rearden, who attended high school with Peltola, told Our News Outlet that many Alaskans would “probably forgive her,” noting that similar language is common among fishermen in the state.
Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola faced scrutiny in late September after reports detailed a series of offensive outbursts. But Alaskans who spoke with Our News Outlet said voters may “probably forgive her” for language often heard in the state’s fishing communities
Republican Senator Dan Sullivan sought to use the allegations against Peltola and brought a printed copy of the report to Donald Trump’s October midterm rally in Alaska
President Donald Trump criticized Peltola at a recent Alaska midterm rally, calling the Democratic candidate “a nut job”
“I, myself, can swear like a sailor. People in other industries talk this way, but then we excuse it as locker-room talk. Trump also gets to say whatever he wants,” Rearden told Our News Outlet. “It’s simply a double standard.”
Warren Richard Jones, a former U.S. Marine and political independent, said he was uncomfortable reading about Peltola’s alleged tirades but did not consider them enough to change his vote.
“I don’t like it, and I don’t allow it around me. But I served in the U.S. Marines and I’m familiar with that kind of language.”
He said the use of the R-word was unnecessary, while adding that Peltola’s phrase “I nothing him” was “actually really funny.”
Erika Monahan, who intended to vote for Peltola, said using offensive language privately was “not ideal behavior,” but told Our News Outlet that the report had not changed her decision.
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Monahan said she was more troubled by Sullivan’s continued support for Trump and what she described as the president’s “stupid and unlawful war.”
“Give me a break. It disgusts me,” she said. “You can hold conservative fiscal views and support limited government. But a decent American cannot vote for them.”
Voters interviewed by Our News Outlet said the New York Times report about Peltola’s alleged outbursts did not alter their views of the Senate candidates
Some polls showed Peltola moving ahead of Sullivan after the Times report highlighted her profanity-filled messages
Peltola lost her husband in 2023, just four months after her mother died. Her campaign said the candidate had sometimes struggled while coping with the combined grief
The Times also reported that Peltola clashed with Planned Parenthood, the liberal reproductive-rights organization.
In 2024, she reportedly became enraged in a text exchange with staff members who criticized her decision to support a bill containing anti-abortion provisions.
“I hope Planned Parenthood knows that if we don’t win, it’s more their loss than ours. F**K THOSE B****ES,” she allegedly wrote.
In another message, she reportedly directed an angry comment at a woman serving on the board of her local Planned Parenthood chapter, writing that she hoped the woman would die from a botched abortion.
Beyond the individual allegations, Peltola’s campaign acknowledged that she had struggled emotionally after her mother and husband died within four months of each other in 2023.
“At the time of their passing, Mary was helping her children navigate their own grief, serving full-time in the U.S. House thousands of miles from home and running a competitive re-election campaign, all while carrying an enormous burden of grief,” campaign spokesman Harry Child told the Times.
“Like anyone who experiences multiple personal tragedies within a few months, Mary sometimes struggled to cope with her grief.”
Since the original report was published on September 23, polling conducted throughout October by the New York Times has shown Peltola holding a narrow advantage over Sullivan.
As of Monday, online prediction market Kalshi gave the Democrat a substantial edge, showing 72 percent compared with 30 percent for Sullivan in predictions about the Senate race’s outcome.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report continues to classify the contest as a toss-up.
Peltola’s alleged outbursts have also been overshadowed by an extraordinary dispute involving a “decoy” candidate who shares Sullivan’s name and appears on the ballot. The unusual development has attracted international attention to Alaska’s midterm race.
Our News Outlet contacted Peltola’s campaign for comment.
