Who is Mary Peltola? The Democrat leads Sarah Palin for Alaska's House seat

Merdie Nzanga, USA TODAY - Yesterday

Mary Peltola is the only Democrat running to replace the late Republican Rep. Don Young for the state's at-large congressional seat, which he held for nearly 50 years.

If Peltola wins, she will be the first Alaska native to serve in Congress.

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Peltola, former Gov. Sarah Palin and Nick Begich are running in both a special election to fill out the rest of Young's current term and in the general election for a new term. All three candidates advanced out of the primary to the election in November.


Mary Peltola, a Democrat seeking the sole U.S. House seat in Alaska, speaks during a forum for candidates on May 12, 2022, in Anchorage, Alaska.© Mark Thiessen, AP

Alaska's new ranked-choice voting system allows the top four candidates to proceed to the general election, regardless of a political party.

Here is what to know about Peltola.

 
Who is Mary Peltola?

Mary Sattler Peltola was born in Anchorage, Alaska. Peltola, 48, went to the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Alaska. She established the lobbying firm Sattler Strategies.

Peltola is a Yup'ik woman, and if she is elected, she would be the first Alaska native in Congress.

She served as the executive director of the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, and a councilwoman in Bethel, a small city in Alaska, from 2011-2013, according to the New York Times.
Peltola's political beliefs

Peltola said in an interview with Anchorage Daily News that Congress should act to preserve abortion access and codify Roe v. Wade.

While she said that guns are part of Alaskan culture, she said she wants commonsense actions to be taken on guns. Provisions such as "secure storage laws, reasonable waiting periods, and universal background checks can make all of us safer while still preserving the rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment," Peltola told Anchorage Daily News.

Alaska special election results

Unofficial results in the special election are expected Aug. 31.

The latest results of the special election show Peltola leading the race at 39.6%, Palin is behind at 30.9%, and Begich in third place at 27.8%, Anchorage Daily News reports, based on a new batch of results released Friday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Mary Peltola? The Democrat leads Sarah Palin for Alaska's House seat