Alaska Democrat Senate candidate Mary Peltola allegedly shoved a male staffer backward in her office, used slurs repeatedly about her own staff, and maintained one of the highest turnover rates in Congress during her House term, according to a devastating New York Times profile published Wednesday.
The explosive report, which interviewed nine former staffers granted anonymity, describes a pattern of alleged angry outbursts and physical conduct while Peltola served in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is now running against Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan in a November race polling shows remains close.
Four former staff members said they directly heard Peltola use the slur “faggot” over the years, including about her own staff members, according to the report. Her campaign has denied the allegation.
In one alleged incident, Peltola shoved a male staffer in her office over a missing meeting memo, “causing him to stumble backward, according to a person who was there and two others who heard about the incident soon after, as well as text messages sent at the time,” the Times reported. The aide left the office soon after.
“At the time of their passing, Mary was parenting kids through their own grief, serving full-time in the U.S. House of Representatives thousands of miles from home, and running a competitive re-election campaign — all while shouldering the enormous burden of grief.”
Peltola’s campaign attributed her alleged behavior to personal tragedy. Her mother and husband both passed away in 2023. Spokesman Harry Child said Peltola “sometimes struggled to deal with her grief” following the losses.
Text messages reviewed by the newspaper show Peltola wrote “FUCK THOSE BITCHES” about Planned Parenthood after her vote on a defense bill. “I hope Planned Parenthood knows that if we don’t win it’s more their loss than ours,” she allegedly added.
In another text message referring to a woman serving on the board of a local Planned Parenthood chapter, Peltola allegedly wrote, “I hope she dies of a botched abortion.” The pro-abortion organization has not endorsed her 2026 campaign.
Former aides said Peltola also used the word “retarded,” according to the report and text messages viewed by the newspaper. In one text, she allegedly wrote “Fuck that retard” after a selfie photo was posted by a commercial fisheries executive with the former representative.
Peltola has made local fishing interests a centerpiece of her Senate campaign despite not sponsoring a single bill related to fishing during her one term in Congress, according to earlier reporting.
The report also described low morale plaguing the campaign, leading Washington Democrats to overhaul the effort by firing two long-time aides and demoting her chief of staff.
Her office maintained one of the highest turnover rates in Congress during her term. Peltola has also missed hundreds of votes throughout her time in elected office.
Senate Leadership Fund Executive Director Alex Latcham said in a statement, “Mary Peltola’s closest aides describe a routine history of physical violence, explosive anger, and utter disdain for Alaskans, which makes her entirely unfit for the U.S. Senate. Peltola’s deeply offensive and disturbing comments do not represent the Alaska way and she must publicly apologize to her staff and the people of Alaska.”
