Alaska Democrat Hit With Claims of Abuse

Mary Peltola's Senate bid in Alaska is facing turbulence, emerging from her own campaign. The New York Times reports that behind the Democrat's popular public image, nine former staffers describe a boss prone to sudden, profane blowups, slurs, and unusual demands—including ordering aides to feed live crickets to her daughter's pet chameleon in her congressional office. According to the Times, former aides say Peltola shoved a staffer in 2024, regularly used ableist and homophobic slurs, and sent texts about a Planned Parenthood board member saying she hoped the woman would "die of a botched abortion."

Her office and campaign deny a pattern of abuse, saying she struggled with intense grief after the deaths of her mother and husband. They deny that Peltola used a homophobic slur but say she regrets using an ableist slur seen in text messages. As for the alleged shove, reps say Peltola only accidentally bumped the staffer while distracted on her late husband's birthday, and stress that other former staffers defend her as demanding but fair. Fellow Democrat Bill de Blasio, the former New York City mayor, also defends Peltola, describing the report as "bulls--- on so many levels," per Newsweek. On the other side, a rep for Sen. Dan Sullivan, whom Peltola is trying to unseat, flags a "disturbing track record," per KTUU.