Mary Peltola delays campaign events after sustaining ‘minor injuries’ in car crash

Former Rep. Mary Peltola is rescheduling several upcoming campaign events after she and her family sustained “minor” injuries in a car crash, her campaign announced on Sunday.

“Mary and her family sustained minor injuries but are in good spirits. 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,” Peltola campaign manager Cheryl Bruce said in a statement.

“Mary is 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,” Bruce added.

Peltola was en route to the Alaska Federation of Natives’ annual banquet on Saturday when a vehicle transporting the candidate and her family was struck by another driver, according to the campaign.

The police department in Anchorage confirmed Sunday that a collision involving three vehicles occurred on Saturday evening and those involved sustained “non-life threatening injuries.”

Police added that the incident is under investigation.

Peltola, a Democrat, is locked in a competitive Senate race against GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan. She was elected to the House in 2022 but narrowly lost her re-election bid in 2024, the same year that President Donald Trump won the state by 13 percentage points.

Sullivan’s re-election race, in which he’s seeking a third term, is tighter than expected, with Alaska voters tying Trump to high gas and grocery prices resulting from the ongoing war with Iran.

Trump and Vice President JD Vance rallied voters in Alaska separately earlier this month.

Republicans have accused Democrats of recruiting another candidate named Dan Sullivan to run for the Senate, saying that voters may be confused by the presence of two Dan Sullivans on the ballot if they plan to vote for the incumbent senator.

Democrats have not taken credit for recruiting the second Dan Sullivan into the race. He’ll appear on the ballot as Dan J. Sullivan, while the incumbent senator will be identified by his name, political party and a clear notation that he’s the incumbent.

Last week, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Alaska’s election officials, seeking to block certification of the election if Sen. Dan Sullivan loses. They cited Dan J. Sullivan’s presence on the ballot as a point of “voter confusion.”

On Saturday, Democrats filed a motion urging a federal judge to dismiss the case.