Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic challenger Mary Peltola traded accusations of dishonesty Thursday night in their final debate, a contest that could help decide control of the U.S. Senate.
"My opponent has been telling lies throughout this entire campaign, and it's revealed character challenges," Sullivan said during Alaska Public Media's "Debate for the State" in Anchorage. Citing a New York Times report built on complaints from former staffers, Sullivan said "when the cameras are off, it's a different Mary Peltola." Peltola called those allegations "outright fabrications or mass exaggerations of the truth."
Peltola hit back after Sullivan said she had opposed defense legislation over transgender medical access. "Alaskans have had it up to here with the lying and the dishonesty," she said. "Dan, you should be ashamed of yourself for propagating these lies." She said she voted against one defense bill over abortion-related language but supported it three other times.
The exchanges grew heated enough that moderator Lori Townsend warned, "If I have to have mics shut off, I will." The candidates also clashed over the Iran war, high prices and campaign money tied to associates of Jeffrey Epstein, with each accusing the other of taking such funds.
Sullivan, a retired Marine seeking a third term, told reporters the race comes down to record, vision and character, and argued Peltola was ineffective in Congress. Peltola finished first in the August top-four primary, with Sullivan second, ahead of the ranked-choice general election.
Photo: U.S. Department of the Interior photo, 2025 (public domain, via Wikimedia Commons). Sen. Dan Sullivan (left) with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
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