Peltola takes in $14.1 million in two months, nearly 7 times Sullivan's haul

Democrat Mary Peltola and Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan filed their quarterly campaign finance reports in Alaska's U.S. Senate race Thursday, covering July 30 through Sept. 30, a stretch that included the Aug. 18 primary. Peltola's campaign took in about $14.1 million over those two months, nearly seven times the $2 million Sullivan's campaign took in.

Both campaigns spent more than they took in during the period, Peltola $15.6 million and Sullivan $4.2 million, and both drew down their bank accounts by about 30%. Sullivan ended September with $5.1 million in cash, Peltola with $3.2 million. Sullivan also had more cash going into the primary, about $7.3 million to Peltola's $4.6 million, Alaska News reported in August.

Peltola's campaign told Politico it raised $17 million in the full July-through-September quarter. That figure also counts July 1 through July 29, when her campaign took in almost $3 million, according to its pre-primary report.

The latest reports bring Peltola's totals for the election cycle to $32.6 million taken in and $29.5 million spent, and Sullivan's to $13.8 million taken in and $9.8 million spent. Neither campaign reported debt.

Peltola, a former U.S. representative, and Sullivan, who won the seat in 2014 and was reelected in 2020, face each other in a four-candidate, ranked-choice general election Nov. 3.

The figures come from Peltola's and Sullivan's reports to the Federal Election Commission. Alaska News used the campaigns' raw electronic filings because the FEC's processed summaries can lag behind new reports. Campaigns can amend their reports.

Where the money came from

Most of both campaigns' money came from individual people. Political action committees, or PACs, gave Sullivan $282,031, about 17% of his contributions, and Peltola $206,113, less than 2% of hers.

Peltola's filing named far more donors. After combining repeat entries with the same name and ZIP code, Alaska News counted about 18,000, roughly 14 times Sullivan's 1,300. On both sides, the typical contribution was $50.

Among the donors names in the filings, a larger share of Sullivan's had Alaska addresses. About 400 of the people his campaign named, or 31%, had Alaska addresses. For Peltola, it was about 1,670, or 9%. In dollars, donors with Alaska addresses gave about $280,000 of the money Sullivan's campaign listed by name, or 26%, and about $491,000 of Peltola's, or 6%.

Those numbers don't cover every dollar. Campaigns don't have to name people who give $200 or less in total, and that money is reported as one lump sum with no addresses. It made up about a third of the money Peltola got from individuals and about a fifth of Sullivan's.

Among the most recognizable names in the latest reports, Peltola received $3,500 from novelist John Grisham, $2,000 from comedian and "Seinfeld" co-creator Larry David and $1,000 from author Judy Blume. Sullivan reported $7,000 apiece from Education Secretary and former WWE executive Linda McMahon, BlackRock chairman and CEO Larry Fink and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen.

They join prominent donors disclosed earlier in the election cycle: singer John Legend, filmmaker Ken Burns and philanthropist Melinda French Gates for Peltola, and former President George W. Bush, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for Sullivan. The names illustrate the national donor networks behind Alaska's Senate race, although their contributions represent only a small fraction of either campaign's money.

Where it went

Most of both campaigns' spending went to advertising. Peltola paid about $10.6 million to two ad-buying firms, TKO Buying and Old Town Media. Her campaign also reported $500,000 coming back from Old Town Media, which it reported as reducing its spending, not as a contribution. Sullivan paid Crossroads Media $2.29 million for ad buys, more than half of his operating spending.

Both also sent money to their parties. Peltola's campaign paid $495,000 to the Alaska Democratic Party, and Sullivan's gave $56,200 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

The rest of the ballot

Daniel J. Sullivan, a Petersburg Republican also on the ballot, reported $11,396 in receipts, $16,319 in spending, $3,477 in cash and $33,699 in debt for the period. Gerald Heikes, the fourth candidate, has no campaign committee or financial totals listed with the FEC.

The reports cover only money the candidates control. They don't include spending by super PACs and other outside groups, which Alaska News has tracked separately.