NewsWPLG Local 10 – PoliticsOctober 25, 2026Miami-Dade County
Alaska Senate Candidates Seek Support from Native Voters Ahead of Election
Photo: WPLG Local 10 – Politics
Ahead of the upcoming Senate election, candidates Sen. Dan Sullivan and Mary Peltola campaigned for support from Alaska Native voters at the Alaska Federation of Natives conference. President Donald Trump stated he instructed his administration to sue to block certification of the race if Sullivan loses, citing ballot confusion concerns. Meanwhile, candidates addressed key regional issues including land allotments, missing and murdered indigenous people, fisheries, and energy costs.
Read the full story at WPLG Local 10 – PoliticsWhy It Matters
Control of the U.S. Senate is at stake in the closely watched Alaska race, where Alaska Native voters make up about one-fifth of the state's population.
Key Facts
- Sen. Dan Sullivan and Mary Peltola both spoke at the Alaska Federation of Natives conference in Anchorage to rally support from Alaska Native voters.
- The Alaska Federation of Natives did not issue an endorsement this year, despite having endorsed Peltola in 2022 and 2024.
- Sealaska Corp. endorsed both Sullivan and Peltola.
- President Donald Trump stated he directed his administration to sue to block certification of the Senate race if Sullivan loses, pointing to potential voter confusion caused by another candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. on the ranked-choice ballot.
- U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche stated the lawsuit is necessary to determine if Alaskan voters were confused or misled.
- Alaskan Natives represent about one-fifth of the state's population but face voting challenges in remote areas, including late-opening polling locations and mail delivery delays.
- Peltola addressed the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous people and emphasized the importance of subsistence fisheries.
- Energy costs, diesel reliance for remote communities, and oil and-gas drilling are major issues in the campaign.
Who's Mentioned
PersonBohrer“Reporter reporting from Juneau, Alaska”PersonDaniel J. Sullivan Jr.“Another candidate listed on the ranked choice ballot without a party designation”PersonDallas Goldtooth“Actor and activist who encouraged conference attendees to vote”PersonMary Peltola“Democratic former U.S. Representative running for Senate in Alaska”PersonSheri Buretta“Chugach Alaska Corp. board chair who introduced Sullivan”OrganizationAlaska Federation of Natives“Organization that hosted the conference in Anchorage”OrganizationSealaska Corp.“Regional Native corporation in southeast Alaska that endorsed both candidates”PersonJoe Biden“Former Democratic President whose administration restricted drilling”PersonTodd Blanche“U.S. Attorney General who wrote about the necessity of the lawsuit”PersonDonald Trump“President who held a rally for Sullivan and announced plans for a potential laws”PersonDan Sullivan“Republican U.S. Senator seeking re-election in Alaska”OrganizationChugach Alaska Corp.“Alaska Native corporation”