ALASKA — Republican Senator Dan Sullivan's campaign has made the "Lower 48" alignment a key attack line against Democrat Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman. The term functions as a pejorative label in Alaska politics for candidates perceived as taking marching orders from powerful forces in the contiguous United States rather than sticking up for Alaskans.

Sullivan lumps Peltola in with "Lower 48 liberals" who have opposed expanded oil and gas drilling in Alaska. The SLF PAC, which supports a Republican Senate majority, has been keying in on the theme.

Peltola positions herself as an independent voice willing to challenge national party leadership. "I took on Joe Biden to secure the largest development project in decades. And I’ll work with Donald Trump on more," Peltola said. She added that she will "take on anyone, including Democrats — anyone in the Lower 48 who doesn’t understand what Alaska needs."

She stated she "took on" then-President Joe Biden to help win approval in 2023 of the Willow oil project, which environmentalists strongly opposed. Major companies purchased leases in a sale earlier this year for the petroleum reserve, home to the Willow project. Spikes in fuel prices caused by the Iran war have hit Alaska communities hard, especially remote communities that must have fuel flown in or delivered by barge before rivers ice over. Many Alaska communities are isolated from the rest of the country and accessible only by air or water.

Darryl Hugo, a resident of Anaktuvuk Pass, backs Sullivan and notes that revenue from oil development is largely responsible for his town's health clinic, school, police and fire departments, and water system. "My region’s economy depends on oil," Hugo said.

Peltola’s campaign emphasized her distance from national Democratic priorities during her unsuccessful 2024 congressional reelection campaign, when she refused to endorse Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and said she would not vote for Trump. Before Alaska's August primary, Harris sent a fundraising appeal that offered support of Peltola. In response, Peltola's campaign told reporters that she "isn’t seeking endorsements from anyone from the Lower 48."

Robert Sewell, an independent from the Juneau area, said he sees the Lower 48" taunts and Peltola trying to distance herself from national Democrats as examples of the candidates "fighting to establish who is the real spokesperson for the real Alaska." Sewell, a Peltola supporter, said he does not think "for one moment that she likes Trump or Trump’s agendas" on other issues. Donald Trump carried Alaska in each of the three times he has run for president."

Peltola is Yup’ik and is among the roughly 43% of Alaskans born in the state. She grew up fishing on the Kuskokwim River in western Alaska, and her campaign slogan is "Fish, Family, Freedom." She is one of only two Alaska Natives to have served in the U.S. House of Representatives and has a long history of advocacy for Alaska's fishing industry. During the 2024 congressional session, Peltola introduced a revised version of the Alaska’s Right to Produce Act that excluded the controversial provision that would have undermined the Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area. She has been a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of centrist Democrats, since 2023.

Sullivan is originally from Ohio and came to Alaska in the late 1990s when he was in his early 30s. He is a retired Marine who served as Alaska attorney general, natural resources commissioner, and an assistant secretary of state in President George W. Bush's administration. Sullivan served as Alaska's attorney general from 2003 to 2009 and as natural resources commissioner from 2009 to 2015.

Alaska has been a state for less than 70 years, and the federal government owns about 60% of Alaska's land. Peltola is the most recent Democrat to have won statewide office in Alaska as of 2026.

Timeline

Mary Peltola stated she "took on" then-President Joe Biden to help win approval in 2023 of the Willow oil project, which environmentalists strongly opposed. During her unsuccessful 2024 congressional reelection campaign, Mary Peltola refused to endorse Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and said she would not vote for Trump.

Before Alaska's August primary, Kamala Harris sent a fundraising appeal that offered support of Mary Peltola. The "Lower 48" theme is central to the Alaska U.S. Senate race, which is one of several contests expected to determine control of the chamber in the November elections.

What's New

The term 'Lower 48' has been used in Alaska politics since at least the 1980s, often by Alaskan politicians to distinguish themselves from national political figures perceived as out of touch with the state’s needs. During the 2024 congressional election, Mary Peltola did not endorse Kamala Harris, a move that showed her independent stance and distance from national Democratic priorities, which Sullivan emphasized in his campaign against her. Sullivan has previously criticized the Obama and Biden administrations for their restrictions on oil and gas leasing in Alaska, particularly in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, and has advocated for more aggressive development in these areas.

In 2023, Mary Peltola successfully worked with the Biden administration to secure approval for the Willow oil project, an $8 billion development in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, despite strong opposition from environmental groups. In 2023, the Biden administration reversed its previous ban on leasing in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, allowing ConocoPhillips to proceed with the Willow oil project, a decision that was supported by Mary Peltola and criticized by environmental groups. During the 2024 congressional session, Mary Peltola introduced a revised version of the Alaska’s Right to Produce Act that excluded the controversial provision that would have undermined the Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area, showing her attempt to balance energy and environmental interests. Donald Trump has carried Alaska in each of his three presidential campaigns, reflecting strong support for his policies on energy development and limited federal regulation in the state.

Why It Matters

Revenue from oil development is largely responsible for infrastructure in towns like Anaktuvuk Pass, where resident Darryl Hugo noted his community's health clinic, school, police and fire departments, and water system depend on it. The race features candidates with different backgrounds: Sullivan arrived in Alaska in the late 1990s, while Peltola is Yup’ik and among the roughly 43% of Alaskans born in the state.