Sullivan and Peltola court Alaska Native voters as DOJ ballot suit hangs over Senate race

A little more than a week before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, the two leading candidates in Alaska's U.S. Senate race are asking Alaska Native voters for support. Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic former Rep. Mary Peltola both spoke at this week's Alaska Federation of Natives conference in Anchorage. ¹

Alaska Natives are about one-fifth of the state's population, but they can face hurdles to voting in remote communities. Advocates have raised concerns about polling places in some villages opening late and ballots not arriving in time to be counted because of mail delays. ¹

Two candidates, two pitches

The federation endorsed Peltola, who is Yup'ik, in her 2022 and 2024 House races. It issued no endorsements this year. ¹ Sealaska Corp., a regional Native corporation in southeast Alaska, has endorsed both Sullivan and Peltola. ¹

Sullivan was introduced Thursday by Sheri Buretta, who chairs the board of Chugach Alaska Corp., as “one of our strongest champions.” He cited his work to help Alaska Native Vietnam War-era veterans get land allotments. ¹

From Channel GOPPeltola: Tariffs doubled Alaska air taxi's parts billMary Peltola · 140 plays · captioned, with the source named

At a candidate forum Friday, Peltola became emotional talking about missing and murdered Indigenous people. She said more law enforcement resources are needed. ¹

I will always fight to restore our fisheries. I feel like working on fish issues is my life’s work,

Energy costs are a major theme. Peltola recently said Alaska Natives were being “absolutely crushed” by costs tied to the war with Iran, which Sullivan has supported. Many rural communities rely on diesel for electricity and heat. ¹

Sullivan has argued the Iran war is temporary. He says the “forever war is the Democrats’ war against Alaskan energy.” Peltola says she supports expanded oil and gas drilling and would work with Trump on it. ¹

The lawsuit over the ballot

On Friday, President Donald Trump said he told his administration to sue to block certification of the race if Sullivan loses. The lawsuit cites possible confusion with another candidate on the ranked choice ballot, listed as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. ¹

The senator is listed as a Republican and the incumbent. Sullivan Jr. is listed with no party. ¹ Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote that the suit is needed so officials “have the information necessary to make a determination as to whether Alaskan voters were confused or mislead.” ¹

The ballot fight is not new. In June, the state's elections director disqualified the challenger. She wrote that his filing “was not filed in order to declare an actual good-faith candidacy for the office of United States Senator.” She did not cite evidence of coordination with Peltola or Democratic officials. ²

The challenger denied any contact with Peltola's campaign. Asked about it, he said: “zero, none, zilch.” ² He then went to court to get back on the ballot. ²

Why it matters

That matters because Alaska voters rank candidates, and Senate control is at stake. ¹ A suit aimed at certification, filed before any votes are counted, would put a federal court between voters and a result. Whether it succeeds is a question for a judge, and no ruling is reported in the coverage cited here.

Actor and activist Dallas Goldtooth came to Alaska to urge conference attendees to vote. He acknowledged “legitimate hesitations” about whether voting changes anything. ¹

The Record

1. Jun 15, 2026Alaska's elections director disqualified the challenger who shares Sen. Sullivan's name; he later went to court ²
2. Oct 23, 2026Trump said he told his administration to sue to block certification if Sullivan loses ¹
3. Oct 25, 2026Sullivan and Peltola both courted Alaska Native voters after speaking at the Alaska Federation of Natives conference ¹

Sources

1. ABC News (AP), “Sullivan, Peltola seek support from Alaska Native voters ahead of crucial Senate race” (2026-10-25). abcnews.com/US/wireStory/sullivan-peltola-seek-support-alask
2. KTAR (AP), “Challenger with same name as Alaska US Sen. Dan Sullivan files challenge to stay on ballot” (2026-06-22). ktar.com/national-news/challenger-with-same-name-as-alaska-u

Found an error? Tell the newsroom. Corrections are noted at the top of the story.