Former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) raked in nearly $9 million across her authorized committees over the first three months of the year, a staggering sum for Alaska that reflects how critical national Democrats believe the race is to their chances of retaking the Senate majority.
Peltola’s $8.9 million haul represents the largest first-quarter raise of any Senate candidate in the state’s history, according to her campaign, which shared its numbers first with POLITICO. It’s quadruple the amount her rival, GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan, raised over the same period.
"Alaskans know DC isn’t working for them, and they’re ready for change," Peltola said in a statement. "I’m so grateful for the support we’ve received from every single borough and census area across our state, and it’s that support that will bring us to victory this November.”
Sullivan’s campaign said last week he had raised $2.1 million across his authorized committees and had $7.5 million in cash on hand. Peltola’s campaign declined to provide her amount of cash on hand, raising the possibility that she spent a lot to raise that much. Her team noted that 95 percent of the contributions she received since launching her Senate bid in mid-January were $100 or less, meaning she can go back to those small-dollar donors for more money in future months.
Sullivan’s campaign argues that he’s well-positioned for reelection.
“This historic support sends a clear message: Alaskans know that Dan delivers,” Sullivan campaign spokesperson Nate Adams said in a statement Thursday announcing the senator’s haul. “From bolstering our Alaska-based military and Coast Guard, unleashing Alaska’s resource economy, and securing historic investments in Alaska’s healthcare system, Senator Sullivan has a proven record of results.”
Sullivan has survived being outraised before. He trounced his last opponent, independent Al Gross, by 13 percentage points in 2020, even though Gross raised roughly twice as much cash and benefited from millions of dollars in outside spending from Democratic groups. And cash advantages haven’t saved Peltola in the past; she lost her House seat to Republican Nick Begich in 2024 despite outraising him nearly five to one.
Alaska remains an uphill climb for Democrats. President Donald Trump won the state by 13 points in 2024. A pending Supreme Court ruling that could ban states from counting late-arriving ballots could also scramble the race by potentially disenfranchising thousands of voters across rural regions of The Last Frontier — particularly Alaska Natives who are a key constituency for Peltola.
But Peltola is a household name in Alaska who has won two statewide bids, and has led Sullivan in the few public polls of the Senate race. The latest, a mid-March poll from Alaska Survey Research, showed her up by 5 percentage points.
National Democrats need to net four seats to reclaim the majority. They view Peltola as a major recruiting win and Alaska as a linchpin to their plans that involve holding a slate of open seats and flipping others in competitive states.
Outside groups are already spending heavily in the relatively cheap state — a sign of how high stakes both sides view the race. Democratic-aligned super PACs have already plunked down over $3 million in ad buys, according to tracking firm AdImpact. The GOP’s top super PAC, Senate Leadership Fund, has made over $6 million in reservations in the state and pledged last week to pour $15 million into the race — a sign Republicans do not see Sullivan’s reelection as a sure thing.
Peltola’s haul puts her in league with other Democratic candidates without primaries in far more expensive states. Former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, a historically prolific fundraiser and another top recruit of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, raked in $12.5 million across his authorized committees in his bid against GOP Sen. Jon Husted.
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