Peltola tours Interior, hears subsistence and cost concerns in six communities

Rural subsistence users and tribal communities across Alaska's Interior have raised concerns that collapsing salmon runs and the harvest restrictions that followed are threatening food security, cultural practices, and local economies, according to a campaign press release from Senate candidate Mary Peltola. That message surfaced across six communities last week, as residents in Fairbanks, Fort Yukon, Tok, Delta Junction, Galena, and Nenana cited factory trawling, bycatch, fuel costs, and grocery prices as consistent concerns.

Peltola announced in January 2026 that she is running for U.S. Senate against incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan for the Class II seat. She previously served as executive director of the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, a role focused on salmon and river management in Western Alaska, and has centered fish and cost issues throughout her campaign. The Interior tour put those concerns at the center of her pitch.

"From the skyrocketing cost of fuel, groceries, and housing, to strict fishing restrictions and collapsing salmon runs, the rigged system in DC is making it harder and harder for families in The Interior and across our state to get by," Peltola said. "I'll fight to lower costs and restore our fisheries to ensure the next generation of Alaskans has the same kind of abundance we grew up with."

Some Alaska fisheries industry voices argue that existing bycatch controls should remain in place and that stricter limits could reduce commercial output. Peltola's platform calls for addressing factory trawling and bycatch, a position that puts her at odds with that segment of the industry.

The campaign press release does not include independent statements from residents in the six communities. Peltola's campaign reports more than 10,000 Alaskans have signed up to support her bid. That figure has not been independently verified.