Scoop: Schumer courts Peltola for Alaska Senate race
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Mary Peltola at a watch party on November 8, 2022 in Anchorage, Alaska. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is quietly pressing former Rep. Mary Peltola (D) to plunge into the Alaska Senate race.
Why it matters: Schumer (D-N.Y.) is trying to recruit his way out of a bad map. Landing Peltola would give him a third statewide winner to cause problems for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.).
- Recapturing the majority is still an uphill battle for Democrats, but when they squint — and make some favorable assumptions about tariffs and the unpopularity of the "one big, beautiful bill" — they are starting to see a path back to 51 seats.
- The focus of Schumer's current charm offensive is Peltola, the last Democrat to win a statewide election in Alaska, and one of just two Democrats to do so this century.
- Democrats want to convince her to challenge Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), who is up for reelection next year.
Zoom out: In New Hampshire and Georgia, the state's popular GOP governors both took passes on the Senate, disappointing many in the party.
- Schumer got who he wanted in Ohio with former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D), and in North Carolina with former Gov. Roy Cooper (D).
- The more states Schumer puts in play, the more resources he will drain from national Republicans, who will have to spend heavily to retain their incumbents.
Zoom in: Democrats have been laying the foundation for a challenge of Sullivan.
- A group associated with a Schumer-linked PAC earlier this year spent more than $600,000 on digital ads bashing Sullivan. The spots focused on the GOP's tax and spending cut package.
- Alaska's unique ranked-choice voting helped Peltola win a special election in 2022. She received 40 percent of the first round votes, while her two GOP candidates divided the remaining 60 percent.
- But after former GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin was eliminated for coming in third place, more of her supporters listed Peltola as their second choice, giving her a majority victory with 51.5 percent.
- In 2024, House Republicans worked to ensure that only their top vote winner in the primary — who ended up being Rep. Nick Begich — would stay in the race. Begich beat Peltola on the second ballot.
What they're saying: "Chuck Schumer's best options in red state Senate races are losers like Mary Peltola," said the NRSC's Nick Puglia.
- "She would be a standout candidate, which is probably why Sullivan is going around town griping about how nervous he is about next year," said the Senate Majority PAC's Lauren French.
The bottom line: Similar to the dynamic in Ohio, there are some Alaska Democrats who would prefer Peltola run for governor.
- Recent polling showed Peltola would be the front runner for governor if she decided to run. Reporting suggests she's considering a gubernatorial bid.
- It's unclear how interested Peltola is in a Senate bid. She did not respond to emailed requests for comment.
