Democrats believe circumstances have aligned for them to win a slew of competitive elections in Alaska. Mary Peltola’s campaign to represent Alaska in the US Senate has taken her to parts of the massive state’s interior that are inaccessible by road, highlighting the cost-of-living crisis she hopes will make her the first Democrat to win the seat in nearly two decades.
Cost of Living Crisis
Peltola has visited towns where paper towels retail for $40, a half gallon of oat milk costs $21, and the price of a new freezer can be quadruple what it is in Anchorage. Along the Arctic Ocean, she has heard of communities where power bills have climbed to $1,500 a month due to reliance on generators, exacerbated by the rising cost of diesel driven by the ongoing conflict in Iran.
““Nobody can afford that,” Peltola said in an interview.
Alaska, a right-leaning state about twice the size of Texas but the third least-populous in the country, has always been among the more expensive places to live. The price increases in the state’s rural areas haven’t necessarily been felt to the same degree in the more populous cities and towns. Yet, the state’s Democrats believe circumstances have aligned for them to win a slew of competitive elections in the 3 November midterms.
The Senate Race
The Senate seat currently held by two-term Republican Dan Sullivan is a top prize. Eric Croft, chair of the state Democratic party, stated,
““In 23 short days, we’re going to be voting both [Republican congressman] Nick Begich and Dan Sullivan out of office, and they richly deserve it. They are self-serving, self-dealing DC politicians who repeatedly voted to make life harder and more expensive for Alaskans.”
All signs indicate that Republicans are taking seriously the threat posed by Peltola, an Alaska native and former US House lawmaker who supports oil and gas and gun rights. Outside groups have poured in tens of millions of dollars into supporting both candidates. Last week, Donald Trump traveled from Washington DC to the conservative Matanuska-Susitna valley to rally voters behind Sullivan, who has trailed in some recent polls.
““Here in Alaska, the Democrats are running radical left Mary Peltola for the Senate. If she gets in, you’re screwed,” Trump told a packed sports center in Wasilla, known as the hometown of Sarah Palin, the Republican former vice-presidential nominee.
On the campaign trail, Peltola and Sullivan have debated who would better lower costs for Alaskans and represent the vital fishing and oil and gas industries in the US Capitol. Both candidates have accused each other of prioritizing special interests over the needs of Alaskans.
