Calling for “systemic change,” former Alaska Congresswoman Mary Peltola announced on January 12 that she will run for the U.S. Senate in 2026, setting up one of the most closely watched races in the country. Peltola will challenge incumbent Dan Sullivan in a contest likely to be shaped as much by Alaska’s unique election system as by the candidates themselves.

Peltola, who represented Alaska’s at-large House seat from 2022 until her 2024 defeat, released an announcement video invoking her campaign slogan, “fish, family, and freedom,” while describing her focus on the high cost of living.

“Growing up, Alaska was a place of abundance,” she said. “Now, we have scarcity. Many of our fish stocks and fish returns have been decimated. The salmon, large game, and migratory birds that used to fill our freezers are harder to find. So we buy more groceries, with crushing prices.”

She added, “And I’ve got to tell you, it’s not just that politicians in D.C. don’t care that we’re paying seventeen bucks for a gallon of milk in rural Alaska, they don’t believe us. They’re more focused on their stock portfolios than our wallets. When they actually work together on something, it’s usually to help themselves.”

In her announcement, Peltola also called for a return to what she described as a spirit of independence in Alaska politics. “Our delegation used to stand up to their party to put Alaska first,” she said, citing former Senator Ted Stevens and Congressman Don Young.

Under Alaska’s Top Four election system, all candidates, regardless of party, compete in a single, nonpartisan primary. The top four vote-getters advance to the general election, which is decided by ranked-choice voting. Supporters of the system say it is simple, fair, and easy, and that it eliminates spoilers and encourages candidates to reach beyond their party bases to appeal to the widest range of voters.

The system has already reshaped Alaska politics. Both Republican US Senator Lisa Murkowski and Democrat Peltola herself were elected under it in the same cycle with the same electorate, reflecting the system’s proven potential to reward coalition-building and cross-partisan support. Even Senator Murkowski endorsed Peltola, although this time the Senator is sticking with Sullivan. 

Because Alaska has only one seat in the U.S. House, Peltola’s previous two victories and her defeat were all statewide races.

The New York Times reports that in 2026, Peltola will be a heavy favorite to advance out of the nonpartisan primary, in which the top four candidates move on to the general election. But to win in November, she will need to attract support from Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike. Her opponents are expected to cast her as too liberal for Alaska, while her campaign will emphasize her focus on state priorities and the need to fix a rigged system, rather than adhering to party ideology.

“It’s simple,” Peltola said. “The fight for fish, family, freedom depends on fixing the rigged system in D.C.”

Although President Trump easily carried Alaska in 2024, his political influence may be shifting. A Civiqs poll conducted on October 17, 2025, found the President’s net approval rating in the state at minus one, despite the President's 14 percentage-point win there the previous year.

The Cook Political Report recently updated its outlook for the race, “shifting our rating from Solid to Lean Republican, given her (Peltola’s) unique political stature in Alaska and her proven crossover appeal, but Sullivan still starts with the advantage.”

If the Top Four system works as promised, the 2026 Senate race will be decided not by partisan loyalty but by which candidate can best appeal to the broadest coalition of Alaskans who vote for people over parties. Whether that benefits Sullivan, Peltola, or another contender, the outcome will offer another test of Alaska’s groundbreaking experiment in open, nonpartisan democracy.