How Alaska became a key battleground in the fight for the Senate

Geoff Bennett:

Alaska could play a pivotal role in Democrats' efforts to reclaim control of the Senate in November.

In a heated debate last night, Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan faced Questions about rising fuel costs driven by the unpopular war with Iran. That's as his Democratic challenger, former Congresswoman Mary Peltola, pushed back against allegations that she mistreated staff members.

Question:

What can Congress do to hasten the war's end?

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK):

We need to open the Straits of Hormuz, make sure Iran does not get a nuclear weapon, but it needs to end soon. The energy costs from this war are too high.

Question:

Former staff members have alleged that you have subjected them to angry outbursts and used derogatory language. How do you respond to these allegations?

Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK), Senatorial Candidate: I do not think that this election is about me on my worst day. And I found so many of these allegations concerning and outright fabrications.

Geoff Bennett:

For reporting and insight, we're joined now by Lori Townsend, political director for Alaska Public Media.

Thanks for being with us.

Lori Townsend, Alaska Public Media:

So great to be here.

Geoff Bennett:

And Alaskans, as you well know, are feeling the effects of rising energy prices in ways that much of the rest of the country is not.

In remote communities, you have diesel that fuels generators, it heats homes, it drives up the costs of shipping food. How are those rising costs shaping this race, the Senate race?

Lori Townsend:

People are very, very focused on this issue, Geoff, especially in rural parts of Alaska.

I checked in with our colleagues across the state and our statewide news network today. Evan Erickson at KYUK in Bethel, the news director there, said gas prices are between $7.29 and $7.66 a gallon. Downriver from bethel in Napaskiak, gas is $9.40 a gallon.

And that's also, of course, affecting the price of goods in stores. And east of Bethel in Kwethluk, a small village, a loaf of bread is more than $9 a loaf, and a pound of ground beef is $11.79 a pound. And in the Arctic, the communities in the northern part of the state, it's even worse. Gas in the Ambler, the community of Ambler and the Kobuk River, is $26 a gallon.

So it's affecting people greatly. It will be very difficult for them this winter, and so they're very focused on this issue and wanting answers as to how these prices can be lowered.

Geoff Bennett:

And Alaska's economy also depends heavily on commercial fishing and trade with Canada. So you have got diesel prices soaring. You have got tariff costs adding to the cost of bus doing business there.

So what are you hearing from fishermen and small business owners? And what are the candidates, what are they saying in response to those concerns?

Lori Townsend:

It's sort of a doubling up for a lot of the fishing industry folks that are seeing, because of tariffs on supplies and equipment, that's raising their expenses, and then, again, the price of fuel, fishermen reporting a cost of doubling or tripling the expense of filling up their vessels with fuel.

There's a lot of heat around the issue of bycatch,which is something that is a term used when vessels that are targeting one species of fish like the pollock industry, catch salmon and other species incidentally. They can't keep those fish, but they do have to take them to shore, have them counted, donate them to food banks.

And fishermen in Alaska, subsistence, sport and smaller commercial fishermen, say that's affecting how much salmon are -- how many salmon are returning to Alaska. It's a complicated issue. Climate change is also a factor. There are many things, but there's a lot of concern around that bycatch issue and calls for regulating the trawl industry more heavily in that regard.

Geoff Bennett:

President Trump was there in Alaska this past week to rally support for the Republican in this race, Dan Sullivan. Alaska has long been reliably Republican. So what does the president's visit say about how competitive this state has become in this cycle?

Lori Townsend:

Well, President Trump, of course, has been visiting numerous states to support his Republican colleagues, and he won Alaska in 2024 by 13 points.

So his base here is enthusiastic when he visits, and it remains to be seen how much that will affect turnout in the midterm election. But it could motivate some of his voters, his supporters who might have otherwise sat out the midterms to come out and vote. It just remains to be seen.

Geoff Bennett:

Lori Townsend, political director for Alaska Public Media, thanks again.

Lori Townsend:

Thanks so much for your interest.