Mary Peltola, a former Democratic Representative, seeks a return to Congress with a campaign focused on expanding oil production in Alaska, a move that contrasts her previous stance during her time in Washington, D.C. Peltola is challenging Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, in a race important for Senate control. National Democrats view Alaska as a key opportunity to flip the Senate. However, Peltola diverges from some of their environmental policies by advocating for increased oil production.
Earlier this month, Peltola presented her “Making Energy Affordable for Alaskans” plan which emphasizes oil and gas development in Alaska, a leading crude oil producer. “Alaska has always been a leader in energy production, and as an independent voice for Alaskans, I will always stand up to anyone to invest in Alaska energy production so that we can create good-paying jobs and lower energy costs,” Peltola stated while introducing the plan.
“As D.C. price hikes create an energy catastrophe for Alaskans, we can’t afford more delays, political gridlock, or one-size-fits-all rules from the Lower 48 that leave Alaskans without solutions,” she added.
In 2023, Peltola took an opportunity to support oil production by co-introducing the Alaska’s Right to Produce Act with Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn. This legislation aimed to reverse Biden-era regulations that limited oil and gas leases in Alaska.
The bill proposed reinstating canceled drilling leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and removing restrictions in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A). However, Peltola later urged her colleagues to vote against her own bill, citing concerns over its impact on Indigenous communities and the Arctic Ocean environment.
“The bill’s intent is to allow Alaska to maintain onshore oil and gas, but a provision within it would nullify the Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area, potentially harming these communities and the environment,” she explained in a letter to House Democrats.
Originally, the bill included a provision that posed conflicts between Alaska’s oil and fishing industries, key economic drivers, leading Peltola to introduce a revised version excluding this clause. Her advocacy resulted in the Biden administration approving the Willow Project, an $8 billion oil drilling project in the National Petroleum Reserve.
A campaign spokesperson stated, “Mary’s record is clear: She will always put Alaska first, and no one from the Lower 48 will ever tell her how to vote or how to think. That’s why she took on her own party to secure the Willow Project after years of delays.”
Peltola supports oil and gas job creation, American energy independence, and lowering energy costs for Alaskan families. Her efforts led to the bill passing in the House, though it failed in the Senate, controlled by then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Schumer heavily recruited Peltola for her Senate bid against Sullivan, offering strong Democratic support. Despite portraying herself as independent, Sullivan’s campaign questions her record and endorsements. “As a Congresswoman, Mary Peltola turned her back on Alaska time and time again,” said Nate Adams, Sullivan’s campaign spokesperson.
Adams added, “Peltola says whatever she needs to say to get elected, then goes to Washington and does whatever Chuck Schumer, AOC, and D.C. Democrats demand of her, even when it directly hurts the Alaskans she’s supposed to represent.”
The Senate race involves a complex scenario with multiple candidates, including Dan J. Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher running as a Republican, raising concerns of voter confusion in Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system.
Voters will decide among Peltola, both Sullivans, and Gerald Heikes, another Republican candidate, come November. Alex Miller provides coverage for Fox News Digital on the U.S. Senate.