Outside groups report $67.4 million in Alaska Senate race, most of it against a candidate

Outside groups have reported spending $67.4 million on the general election in Alaska's U.S. Senate race, according to a tally of federal filings through Oct. 19 by the tracker PaidForPolitics. Of that, $25.8 million was reported in the last 14 days. Alaskans vote in the general election on Nov. 3.

Alaska News reported Oct. 12 that outside groups logged $12.8 million in the race in a single week.

Mary Peltola, a registered Democrat, and Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan each face far more outside money against them than for them. The PaidForPolitics Alaska Senate tracker counts $27.3 million against Peltola and $6 million for her, and $24.5 million against Sullivan and $8.9 million for him. Including the primaries, it puts all outside spending in the race at about $79.1 million.

The tracker draws on Federal Election Commission filings, including the 24- and 48-hour reports groups must file close to an election. Some nonprofit spenders don't disclose their donors, so the figures show who spent the money, not always who gave it.

New notices to the FEC kept coming in the past several days. Last Frontier PAC reported $162,261 to place ads against Peltola. Midnight Sun PAC reported $312,998 for Peltola. Forward Alaska reported $600,000 against Sullivan. Alaska Values PAC reported $100,000 against Sullivan and $100,000 for Republican Gerald L. "Jerry" Heikes.

Ballot Measure 1, which voters approved in August, restores contribution limits for state and local campaigns. It does not cover federal races like this one.