Mary Peltola’s Attendance Record Under Fire as Alaska Senate Battle Heats Up

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola is facing fresh scrutiny over her record in public office after newly highlighted attendance figures showed that she missed hundreds of votes during her years in the Alaska House of Representatives — handing Republicans a potent line of attack as one of the nation’s most consequential Senate races moves toward November.

Fox News Digital reported Saturday, citing legislative records, that Peltola missed 794 of 4,265 votes during her five terms in the Alaska House between 1999 and 2009. That amounts to approximately 18.6 percent — nearly one out of every five votes considered during her tenure.

The records also show that Peltola’s absences were particularly significant during the 2003-2004 legislative session, when she missed 334 of 1,019 votes, according to Fox. Her attendance record extended beyond the state legislature: during her later service on the Bethel City Council, she reportedly missed 22 of 60 meetings, or roughly 36.7 percent, from 2011 through 2013.

For Republicans, the numbers provide an opening to challenge the Alaska Democrat’s argument that voters should send her back to Washington.

Peltola is attempting to unseat Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, a two-term incumbent and ally of President Donald Trump. Both advanced from Alaska’s August 18 open primary and are now headed toward a high-stakes general election that could help determine control of the U.S. Senate. The Associated Press described the contest as one of the races attracting major national attention and outside spending.

The attendance issue is particularly damaging politically because Peltola has built much of her campaign around an Alaska-first message and the argument that residents need someone in Washington who will work aggressively for their interests. Speaking after the primary, Peltola said Alaska needed a representative in Washington who understood the state and would work hard for its people.

Republicans are now asking whether her record matches that message.

The Republican National Committee sharply attacked Peltola after the attendance figures surfaced, while the National Republican Senatorial Committee has separately questioned her effectiveness during her previous tenure in Congress. Republicans are increasingly portraying the November election as a choice between Sullivan’s record in the Senate and what they characterize as Peltola’s history of absenteeism.

Peltola’s campaign strongly disputes that characterization.

A campaign spokesperson told Fox News that Peltola gave birth to three of her seven children while she was serving in the Alaska Legislature and took maternity leave during that period. The campaign argued that once excused absences are removed, Peltola missed approximately 6 percent of votes and said she continued working on bipartisan legislation involving rural public safety and Alaska energy development.

Her campaign also defended some of her Bethel City Council absences, pointing to fishing seasons and other council responsibilities. It attempted to turn the attendance argument back on Sullivan, accusing the senator of missing votes and fisheries-related committee hearings of his own.

Still, Peltola’s broader voting record is likely to remain ammunition for Republicans. Fox reported that during her service in the U.S. House from 2022 through 2024, she missed 235 of 1,370 roll-call votes — about 17.2 percent — citing GovTrack data.

The controversy arrives at a dangerous moment for Democrats. Peltola is not an obscure challenger: she made history in 2022 as the first Alaska Native elected to Congress and has demonstrated an ability to win statewide. She also finished ahead of Sullivan in the initial primary vote count, while both easily secured places in Alaska’s top-four general election.

That makes the coming Republican offensive predictable — and potentially powerful.

Peltola will argue that legitimate maternity leave, excused absences and Alaska’s unique fishing culture explain much of the record. Republicans will argue that voters should look at the raw numbers and ask a simpler question: when Alaska needed its elected representative to vote, how often was she actually there?

With control of the Senate potentially hanging on only a handful of contests, Alaska’s race is rapidly becoming more than a battle over policy. It is becoming a referendum on performance, reliability and which candidate Alaskans trust to show up when their state needs a voice in Washington.