Peltola's $8.9M Haul Dwarfs Sullivan in Alaska Senate Showdown

Alaska Democrat Mary Peltola, challenging incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, announced April 13 that her Senate campaign raised a record $8.9 million in the first quarter of 2026 — the largest haul for any U.S. Senate bid in state history.[1][2][4] The figure towers over Sullivan's $2.1 million from his authorized committees during the same period, with the senator holding $7.5 million cash on hand as of last week.[1][4] Peltola's campaign emphasized that 95% of donations were $100 or less, drawn from supporters statewide including Bethel fishermen, Juneau silversmiths and Anchorage train conductors.[1][2][3] Peltola launched her bid in mid-January, exploding out of the gate with $1.5 million in the first 24 hours — more than Sullivan raised in the prior year's third quarter.[3] Donations poured in from every corner of Alaska, underscoring her appeal in a state where ranked-choice voting could upend the race.[1][2] Sullivan's team countered that their fundraising reflects 'historic support' for the senator, who first won the seat in 2014 and defended it amid national GOP gains.[4] This cash sprint foreshadows an expensive showdown in America's largest state, where vast distances demand heavy ad spends on TV and radio from Ketchikan to Kotzebue. The contest, rated a Republican lean by the Cook Political Report but tightening post-Peltola's entry, could tip Senate majority control.[3][4] With Peltola declining to disclose cash on hand, her campaign bets on repeat small-dollar appeals from Alaska's working families.[4]