CONTACT: press@marypeltola.com
Mary Peltola Launches Campaign to Serve as Alaska’s Voice in the United States Senate
ANCHORAGE, AK – Mary Peltola launched her campaign for U.S. Senate, pledging to work with anyone or take on anyone – no matter their party – to make life better and more affordable for Alaska families.
Mary Peltola is a mother, grandmother, and lifelong Alaskan who grew up in Kwethluk and Bethel fishing with her father. In the Alaska State Legislature and in Congress, Mary has always centered her core values of fish, family, and freedom to drive her work and improve the lives of Alaskans. Mary has never hesitated to stand up to her own party to get results for Alaska, successfully securing the Willow Oil Project and good-paying jobs across the state after years of delay, banning foreign trawled fish, and bringing home resources for Alaska infrastructure and rural broadband.
Now, Mary is running for Senate because politicians in Washington are putting themselves and the special interests funding their campaigns first and leaving Alaskans behind. Mary has never been afraid to stand up to those in power to put Alaskans first, and she’ll continue to fight for Alaska’s future in the U.S. Senate.
I’m Mary Peltola and I’d like to share why I’ve made the decision to run for U.S. Senate.
I grew up on the Kuskokwim River, salmon fishing with my father. Buzzy and I raised our seven kids in Alaska and spent long summer days at fish camp.
Life is difficult here. And we know that we have to take care of each other. DC people were shocked that I prioritized going back to Alaska in July to help put up fish for our family. But Alaskans understand.
Growing up – Alaska was a place of abundance. Now, we have scarcity. The salmon, large game, and migratory birds that used to fill our freezers are harder to find. So we buy more groceries, with crushing prices.
It’s not just that politicians in DC don’t care that we’re paying 17 dollars for a gallon of milk in rural Alaska, they don’t even believe us. They’re more focused on their stock portfolios than our bank accounts. When they actually work together on something, it’s usually to help themselves.
Our delegation used to stand up to their party and put Alaska first. Ted Stevens and Don Young ignored Lower 48 partisanship to fight for things like public media and disaster relief because Alaska depends on them.
My agenda for Alaska will always be fish, family, and freedom. But our future also depends on fixing the rigged system in DC that’s shutting down Alaska, while politicians feather their own nest.
DC people will be pissed that I’m focusing on their self-dealing, and sharing what I’ve seen firsthand. They’re going to complain that I’m proposing term limits. But it’s time.
Systemic change is the only way to bring down grocery costs, save our fisheries, lower energy prices and build new housing Alaskans can afford.
No one from the Lower 48 is coming to save us, but I know this in my bones, there is no group of people more ready to save ourselves than Alaskans.
Ted Stevens often said, “to hell with politics, put Alaska first.” It’s about time Alaskans teach the rest of the country what Alaska First and, really, America First looks like.