Sullivan touts an NRA endorsement — but the gun group backed Peltola two years ago

Alaska's U.S. Senate race is a genuine toss-up, and this week handed each side a talking point. A New York Times/Siena poll put Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan ahead of Democrat Mary Peltola, 47 to 45 among likely voters — the first public poll to show Peltola behind since she launched her campaign in January. Her campaign, in a fundraising email, blamed a wave of super-PAC attack ads and asked supporters for $25 donations.

The bigger flex came from Sullivan's side: the NRA's political arm endorsed him with an A+ rating, its top grade, and his campaign used the moment to cast Peltola as a threat to gun rights who would help make Chuck Schumer majority leader.

However, two years ago, the same NRA political arm endorsed Peltola in her House race — its first endorsement of a Democrat since 2020 — praising her votes to rein in the ATF and protect traditional ammunition. Peltola, a lifelong hunter who has said she owns 176 long guns, is cross-pressured on the issue: pro-gun enough to win that NRA nod, but rated "F" by the harder-line Gun Owners of America over her support for background checks and waiting periods.

Peltola is trying to flip a Republican-held Senate seat in a state Trump won with about 53 percent of the vote in 2024 — the same year she narrowly lost her House seat to Republican Nick Begich.