Mary Peltola, the Alaska Democrat seeking a U.S. Senate seat with the backing of “Squad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is facing accusations from former staffers that she used a racial slur.
Peltola, 53, is challenging Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan in a closely watched contest that could help determine which party controls the Senate after the 2026 midterm elections.
The alleged incident reportedly took place following an October 2024 dinner honoring nearly 4,000 Black soldiers. Peltola was serving as Alaska’s representative in the U.S. House at the time.
Federal Election Commission records show Peltola’s campaign spent $8,000 on tables at the event. Ed Wesley, a Black Army veteran who helped promote the dinner, had reportedly assured her that the seats would be filled.
When many of the expected guests failed to attend, Peltola allegedly became furious.
“She said, ‘I can’t believe that n—-r,’” an unnamed former staffer told the news outlet Alaska Landmine. The staffer also alleged that Peltola repeatedly called Wesley, a former president of the Anchorage NAACP, a “scammer.”
Peltola’s campaign strongly denied the accusation in a statement to The Post, describing it as “part of a smear campaign driven by an unstable, disgruntled former staffer who was fired.”
“Mary would never use this word, which is a vile slur with a painful, hateful history,” a campaign spokesperson said.
The allegation follows other claims that Peltola has a volatile temper and has used offensive language, including terms such as “retard” and “f—t.” She has also been accused of shoving a male staffer.
Ocasio-Cortez, one of the Democratic Party’s most prominent fundraisers, threw her support behind Peltola in January and encouraged her large network of backers to donate to the campaign.
Peltola was the only Democrat endorsed by the National Rifle Association in 2024. During her time in the House from 2022 through 2025, she pressed the Biden administration to support Arctic drilling and highlighted her role in securing approval for ConocoPhillips’ controversial $8 billion Willow oil project.
National Democrats have described Peltola’s recruitment as a major coup as the party looks to win control of the Senate in the 2026 midterms.
Peltola has previously won a statewide election and is viewed as a formidable candidate. Still, polling indicates a tight contest, with the latest survey giving her a lead of only 2 percentage points.
Ocasio-Cortez did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
