Peltola posts massive campaign fundraising, but Republicans maintain cash advantage in Alaska congressional races

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Fundraising for Alaska's U.S. Senate and House races has jumped into high gear, with candidates raising millions of dollars in the latest fundraising round in the lead-up to the November election.

Alaska's U.S. Senate race between incumbent U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic challenger Mary Peltola is seen as one of a handful of key contests across the country that could determine whether Republicans maintain control of the U.S. Senate in the coming midterm elections.

Peltola hauled in close to $9 million, a record amount for a first-quarter period in an Alaska Senate contest, her campaign said in a statement earlier this week.

Peltola's fundraising outpaced Sullivan's by roughly a 5-1 margin, helping give a quick boost to her campaign, though Sullivan has more cash on hand.

Peltola is a former U.S. House lawmaker from Western Alaska who supported gun rights, ConocoPhillips' controversial Willow oil project, protections for fish and improvements for Alaska infrastructure.

Sullivan is a second-term senator, former U.S. Marine Corps infantry officer and strong advocate of President Donald Trump who has supported resource development in the state, military expansion and infrastructure improvements.

Recent polls favor Peltola, but Alaska voters typically favor Republican incumbents for federal office.

Sullivan has said he expects to be heavily outspent but plans to prevail, similar to 2020 when he coasted to victory over independent challenger Al Gross, and 2014 when he beat Democratic incumbent Mark Begich.

Peltola's campaign reported $8.7 million in total receipts for the year's first three months, according to its filing with the Federal Election Commission.

The vast majority of contributions, at $7.6 million, came from individuals. The remainder, about $1.1 million, came from political committees, including about $650,000 from committees authorized by Peltola, the report showed.

Peltola, who recently completed the first part of a tour of rural Alaska villages, said in the statement that Alaska fishermen, farmers, teachers, nurses, firefighters and others contributed.

Peltola's campaign spent about $2.9 million, the report says. About $1.5 million of that went to companies for digital fundraising efforts.

The campaign has $5.7 million cash on hand.

"Alaskans know D.C. isn't working for them, and they're ready for change," Peltola said in the statement from her campaign. "It's going to take all of us, but together we'll take on the rigged system in D.C. that's hurting each and every one of these communities. We are going to put Alaska first."

The Fish Family Freedom Fund, a political action committee authorized by Peltola that supports her campaign, raised about $845,000 in the quarter, according to its report to the commission.

Peltola's campaign also received large donations from notable philanthropists and Democratic politicians, such as $7,000 from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a vocal Trump critic.

Several left-leaning political action committees also contributed to Peltola's campaign, including the Blue Dog Political Action Committee, a group of centrist House Democrats that advocate for fiscal responsibility and on national security issues.

Peltola joined the Blue Dog caucus in 2023, several months after she became the first Alaska Native elected to Congress. She lost the seat in 2024 to Rep. Nick Begich, a Republican, when Trump surged to victory amid lackluster support for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

Sullivan's campaign took in $1.7 million in total receipts, according to its report the FEC.

Close to half that, or $875,000, were contributions from individuals, the report says.

About $275,000 came from political action committees, and another $530,000 came from political committees authorized by the campaign, the report says.

Sullivan donors included executives from ConocoPhillips, Alaska's biggest oil producer, such as ConocoPhillips Alaska president Erec Isaacson, who gave $1,000. Chugach Alaska Corporation PAC, a political committee for the Alaska Native corporation in Southcentral Alaska, gave $5,000. Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse, chief executive of Alaska mining company Contango Ore that operates the Manh Choh mine near Fairbanks, gave $3,505.

John Shively, chair of the Pebble Partnership that seeks to open the controversial Pebble Mine, also donated $500, after giving the same amount in the previous quarter. Sullivan has said he opposes the mine.

Also, more than $400,000 was contributed to the Sullivan Victory fund, a Sullivan-authorized political action committee.

"This historic support sends a clear message: Alaskans know that Dan delivers," said Nate Adams, the campaign spokesman for Sullivan, in a statement. "From bolstering our Alaska-based military and Coast Guard, unleashing Alaska's resource economy, and securing historic investments in Alaska's health care system, Senator Sullivan has a proven record of results."

The Sullivan campaign spent less than $500,000 in the quarter, with a large chunk of that going to companies for fundraising consulting.

The campaign has $7.1 million cash on hand, the report shows.

Begich has cash advantage

In Alaska's U.S. House race, Begich had more cash in his campaign account at the end of the reporting period than his two challengers combined.

But Bill Hill, an independent former public school educator and commercial fisherman from Naknek, reported raising more than Begich from individual contributions, after entering the race in mid-January.

Candidate Matt Schultz, a Democrat and a pastor at Anchorage First Presbyterian Church, raised less than the other two candidates.

Begich reported having more than $2.8 million in his campaign account at the end of March, after raising just over $700,000 in the first three months of the year, of which nearly $250,000 came from political action committees. He also received $345,000 in transfers from other committees, including $215,000 from Grow the Majority, a committee seeking to defend Republican control of the House.

Begich used $50,000 in campaign contributions to repay part of a loan he made to his campaign account in 2022. His campaign expenditures during the first three months of the year totaled $363,000, including $50,000 on mailing services and $47,000 paid to WinRed, a Republican fundraising platform.

Hill reported having just under $600,000 in his campaign account at the end of March, after raising $783,000 - the vast majority of which came from individual donors.

Hill's fundraising far surpassed that of Schultz, the other candidate seeking to unseat Begich, who raised $270,000 during the reporting period and had just under $350,000 in his campaign account at the end of March.

Hill spent $188,000 during the reporting period, of which $87,000 went directly to Ship Creek Group, a political consulting agency that has worked for high profile left-of-center campaigns in Alaska, including Peltola's first run for U.S. House.

Schultz spent $143,000.

Spending ramps up

Other political organizations and committees have also announced early spending, leading to a trickle of campaign ads that is set to become a flood as the campaign season heats up.

The leadership PAC for Senate Republicans announced earlier this month that Alaska is among eight battleground states where it will spend money in the coming election cycle. Alaska will see $15 million in spending from the Senate Leadership Fund as part of its effort to keep Sullivan in office.

Last Frontier Action, an organization supporting Sullivan, has also committed to six-figure spending to support Sullivan and run ads against Peltola.

Majority Forward, an organization supporting Democrats in the Senate, has already begun spending on ads attacking Sullivan.

The National Republican Congressional Committee, which seeks to protect the Republican majority in the House, has begun spending money to defend Begich. Alaska is one of a handful of competitive states where the committee is running ads touting the Republican-backed tax bill that passed last year.

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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 5:47 PM.