What would happen if Democrat Rep. Mary Peltola decided to challenge Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan in 2026?
Ivan Moore’s Alaska Survey Research conducted a poll April 21-25 with 1,261 likely Alaska voters and found that the positive-negative ratings for Peltola are strongly in her favor.
Peltola rated 53% positive, 28% negative, 13% no opinion, 6% never heard for a +25 rating.
Sullivan rated 45% positive, 41% negative, 12% no opinion and 1% never heard, for a +3 rating.
Looking forward three years, Moore asked likely voters, “If the 2026 general election for US Senate was held today and the candidates were as follows, for whom would you vote for Senate?” Of the choices he presented to likely voters, the result gave Peltola the edge:
- Mary Peltola (D) 44%
- Dan Sullivan (R) 41%
- Undecided 15%
Peltola was elected in the first-ever open primary and ranked choice voting election in Alaska, beating out Republican Sarah Palin, Republican Nick Begich, and Libertarian Chris Bye in the general election. A hardline Democrat who votes with her party nearly 100% of the time, she has enjoyed favor from the legacy media and leftist writers.
During that same election, Sen. Lisa Murkowski beat Kelly Tshibaka and retained her Senate seat. Murkowski endorsed Peltola in that election.
Peltola has given no indication about her intent for 2026, but is running for reelection already for her seat representing Alaska in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2024, and the national Democrats have put her on the list for their rescue operation, since she is a hard Democrat running in a lean-Republican state.
