Millions Flood Alaska Senate Race as Peltola Outraises Sullivan

ANCHORAGE — Alaska's U.S. Senate race is awash in cash, with Democratic challenger Mary Peltola reporting nearly $9 million in receipts for the first three months of 2026, the largest first-quarter haul in state political history. Incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan raised between $1.7 million and $2.1 million over the same period across his authorized committees, leaving him with $7 million to $7.5 million cash on hand compared to Peltola's under $6 million. Both campaigns drew most funds from out-of-state donors, though Peltola edged Sullivan in raw Alaska dollars at over $500,000 versus $135,000 — yet in-state money comprised 17% of Sullivan's total but just 13% of hers.

Peltola's windfall leaned heavily on small-dollar donors, with 95% of contributions since her mid-January launch at $100 or less, including $3.5 million in unitemized gifts via ActBlue. Sullivan relied more on PACs, which made up 24% of his haul ($277,000) versus 6% for Peltola ($450,000, mostly from Democratic leadership PACs). Heavyweights like AIPAC funneled $250,000 in pass-through individual donations to Sullivan, while Emily's List steered $44,000 to Peltola. Peltola's team spent $1.4 million on digital fundraising, equating to 17 cents per raised dollar.

Outside spending escalates the arms race: Democratic super PACs have dropped over $3 million on Alaska ad buys, per AdImpact tracking, while the GOP's Senate Leadership Fund reserved $6 million and pledged $15 million to bolster Sullivan. Analysts at Cook Political Report rate the race 'leans Republican,' amid shifting Senate battlefields favoring Democrats, with a recent Alaska Survey Research poll showing Peltola's favorability at 48.5% to Sullivan's 40.7%. Since Sullivan's last election, his cumulative fundraising slightly tops Peltola's explosive Q1.