Alaska Democratic nominee faces accusation of using the n-word for a Black Army veteran

Alaska Democratic Senate hopeful Mary Peltola is fighting allegations by former staffers that she used the N-word. The 53-year-old Peltola is challenging incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) in a closely watched race that could shift the Senate’s balance of power. Peltola is currently leading the RealClearPolitics polling aggregate by 1.2 points.

The alleged incident occurred after an October 2024 dinner honoring nearly 4,000 Black soldiers, when Peltola was serving as U.S. Representative for Alaska. According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) records, as reported by Alaska Landmine, her campaign spent $8,000 on tables for the event after Ed Wesley, a Black Army veteran and event promoter, reportedly assured her the tables would be filled. When that did not happen, Peltola allegedly became angry.

“She said, “I can’t believe that n—-r,’” an unnamed former staffer told Alaska Landmine, adding Peltola repeatedly referred to Wesley, a former president of the Anchorage NAACP, as a “scammer.” A second staffer also alleged that Peltola used the “n-word” multiple times during a spring 2024 campaign staff meeting.

Peltola claims those allegations only come from her “disgruntled former staffer”

Peltola’s campaign flatly denied the allegation to the New York Post, calling it “part of a smear campaign driven by an unstable, disgruntled former staffer who was fired.” Her spokesperson said, “Mary would never use this word, which is a vile slur with a painful, hateful history.”

However, Peltola has also faced accusations of angry outbursts and using other offensive language, such as slurs like “r——d” and “f—t,” according to a report by The New York Times. Four former staff members said they directly heard her use the word “f—t” over the years, sometimes in reference to her own staff, an allegation the campaign has denied. Former aides and text messages reviewed by the Times also allege she used the word “r——d.” The same report also accused her of shoving a male employee in the chest with one hand in a congressional office in February 2024, after she reportedly became frustrated over being unable to find a memo for a meeting.

New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lent her influential fundraising support to Peltola, urging her large base of supporters to contribute to the campaign. AOC has yet to comment on Peltola’s allegations. Peltola was the only Democrat the National Rifle Association endorsed in 2024, according to The Hill.

Peltola won Alaska’s at-large congressional district in a special election held in August 2022 to replace the late Republican Congressman Don Young. She retained the seat, traditionally considered a Republican stronghold, in the 2022 midterm election, but lost it to Republican Nick Begich in the 2024 cycle.