It’s becoming clear that former Rep. Mary Peltola has no desire to take on Congressman Nick Begich in 2026. She has a handsome six-figure job now with Holland & Hart, a law firm in Anchorage, where she can come and go as she pleases.
But the Democrats still see her as their highest vote getter and are trying to find the best race to run her in.
Last month, a liberal-bent Data for Progress poll queried Alaskans to see if Peltola or Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom would be their choice for governor. Data for Progress does polls and surveys for Democrats. Peltola, the Democrat, bested Dahlstrom, the Republican, in that poll.
This week, Public Policy Polling, another liberal polling company, has tested Peltola for Senate.
In a text poll that went out, Alaskans were asked several questions about Sen. Dan Sullivan. Recipients of the text poll were asked if they think he is a strong or weak leader, if he aligns well with President Trump, or too much with Trump. Finally if, given a choice between Peltola and Sullivan, who they would elect for US Senate? They were then asked who they would vote for if the choice was Sullivan, Peltola, and a third independent candidate.
There were no questions about the congressional race or governor’s race, no mention of Congressman Begich, but there was one question asking whether the participant approves of the job being done by Sen. Lisa Murkowski. And there were a few questions about President Donald Trump’s performance.
Peltola is still the Alaska Democrats’ best hope, but they haven’t yet figured out what is her highest and best use.
