Former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola and members of her family suffered minor injuries in a car collision in Anchorage on Saturday evening, prompting the Democratic Senate nominee to postpone several campaign appearances, her staff announced Sunday.
Peltola, 53, was traveling to the Alaska Federation of Natives annual banquet when another vehicle struck the car carrying the candidate and her family, according to her campaign. Anchorage police said officers were dispatched to a multi-vehicle crash at approximately 6:55 p.m. on Saturday. Peltola’s family and an occupant of a second car were transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while the driver of a third vehicle declined medical transport, authorities said. Police noted that the collision remains under investigation.
A campaign spokesperson stated there was no indication the crash was politically motivated, NBC News reported.
Events rescheduled during tour rollout
Peltola had been scheduled to launch her eight-stop “Alaska Always Tour” ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Campaign manager Cheryl Bruce said in a statement that medical professionals advised Peltola to take time to recover before returning to public events.
“Mary and her family sustained minor injuries but are in good spirits,” Bruce said in the statement. “Unfortunately, per the advice of medical professionals, Mary’s upcoming events in Fairbanks and Bethel will be rescheduled for later in the week as she takes time to recover.”
Bruce added that Peltola was “disappointed that the accident is delaying the start of her Alaska Always Tour, and she is eager to get back on the campaign trail to speak directly with Alaskans about her plan to take on the rigged system and lower costs for working families.”
According to her campaign, events initially set for Sunday and Monday were deferred, with plans to resume campaign activities Tuesday with a stop in Homer, Alaska, The Guardian reported.
High-stakes Senate contest
Peltola is mounting a challenge against two-term Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan in a contest considered critical to determining control of the U.S. Senate. Cook Political Report lists the race as one of seven toss-up contests nationwide, the New York Post reported.
Peltola, an Alaska Native, won a special election to the U.S. House in 2022, becoming the first Democrat to represent Alaska in Congress in five decades. She narrowly lost her House seat in 2024, when Donald Trump carried the state by 13 percentage points. In August, she finished first in Alaska’s nonpartisan top-four primary under the state’s ranked-choice voting system, according to CBS News.
Sullivan’s reelection bid has drawn intense national scrutiny. Alaska voters have voiced frustration over grocery and fuel costs linked to an ongoing conflict involving Iran, NBC News reported. Both Trump and Vice President JD Vance campaigned in the state earlier this month to support the incumbent.
Ballot dispute heads to federal court
The race has also become entangled in a legal battle over the state’s ballot. Republicans have criticized the presence of another candidate, Dan J. Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher who filed as a Republican. Critics have alleged the identical name could confuse voters seeking to back the incumbent senator.
Last week, the Justice Department filed a federal lawsuit against Alaska election authorities seeking to block certification of the election if Sen. Sullivan is defeated, citing voter confusion over the names. Democrats, who have denied recruiting the second Sullivan, filed a motion in federal court on Saturday asking a judge to dismiss the government’s lawsuit.
State election officials plan to list the incumbent with his full name, party affiliation and an explicit designation that he is the sitting senator.
