WASHINGTON — The latest campaign finance data in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race show Democrat Mary Peltola has vastly outraised incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan.
Peltola’s campaign raised $6.9 million since April 1, while Sullivan raised more than $2 million.
(Candidates also have other pots of money, like leadership PACs. Sullivan’s campaign said he’s raised over $3 million “across all of Sullivan’s authorized campaign committees.”)
Sullivan campaign spokesman Nate Adams expressed confidence.
“Our campaign continues to raise the resources necessary to run and to win a Senate campaign,” he said. “And we've done that quarter over quarter. This last quarter was no different.”
Fundraising is an imperfect measure of a campaign’s appeal and organization. And because Alaska is a battleground state that could decide which party controls the Senate, money is flooding both campaigns. It comes from all over the country, typically in small donations through the fundraising platforms Winred and Act Blue.
Adams emphasized the senator’s cash on hand – more than $8 million in his campaign account, and nearly $10 million across his organizations. That tops Peltola’s $6 million in cash on hand.
“So she may be winning the fundraising battle,” Adams said, “but she is very handily losing the effectiveness battle, as it relates to spending her money.”
Peltola campaign spokesman Harry Child said that the vast majority of her donations are small, averaging $50 per donor. He acknowledged that non-Alaskans contributed much of Peltola’s haul but said her campaign is doing well around the state.
“We have a lot of grassroots momentum on the ground,” he said. “We have a lot of volunteers signed up — more than 10,000 in Alaska to help Mary — and we’re receiving support from every borough. So feeling good.”
Money does not necessarily reflect a candidate’s popularity among voters. Sullivan won his 2020 reelection despite finishing far behind challenger Al Gross in fundraising. Forecasters like Sabato’s Crystal Ball consider Alaska a toss-up this year.
Among the 16 Senate candidates on the ballot in Alaska’s Aug. 18 primary, only Sen. Sullivan and Peltola have raised money so far.
That could soon change.
Challenger Dan J. Sullivan of Petersburg filed papers Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission. That’s a necessary step before a campaign can take in contributions.
