ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola and members of her family sustained minor injuries in a multi-vehicle collision Saturday evening while en route to a campaign-related event, prompting her campaign to reschedule stops in Fairbanks and Bethel as she recovers, according to her campaign and Anchorage police.
The crash occurred around 6:55 p.m. local time at the intersection of O’Malley Road and Lake Otis Parkway. Anchorage police said a vehicle traveling west on O’Malley Road rear-ended the car carrying Peltola and her family, which was stopped at a red light; the impact pushed that vehicle into a third car also stopped at the light. Occupants of Peltola’s vehicle and the driver of the striking vehicle were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The occupant of the third vehicle declined medical transport. The incident remains under investigation.
Peltola’s campaign said the family was traveling to the Alaska Federation of Natives annual banquet when the collision occurred. “Mary and her family sustained minor injuries but are in good spirits,” campaign manager Cheryl Bruce said in a statement. “Unfortunately, per the advice of medical professionals, Mary’s upcoming events in Fairbanks and Bethel will be rescheduled for later in the week as she takes time to recover. Mary is disappointed that the accident is delaying the start of her Alaska Always Tour, and she is eager to get back on the campaign trail to speak directly with Alaskans about her plan to take on the rigged system and lower costs for working families.”
A campaign spokesperson indicated there was no reason to believe the crash was politically motivated. Events in Homer, Kenai, Seward, Juneau, Anchorage and Palmer are expected to proceed as scheduled, with Peltola anticipated to resume campaigning Tuesday in Homer.
Peltola, an Alaska Native and former U.S. representative, is challenging Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan in one of the nation’s most competitive Senate races. She seeks to become the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Alaska since 2008. The contest is rated a toss-up by nonpartisan analysts and holds implications for control of the chamber. Both campaigns have courted Alaska Native voters, a significant voting bloc. Sullivan’s campaign expressed hope that everyone involved is okay.
The collision interrupts the opening of Peltola’s final-week “Alaska Always Tour,” an eight-stop swing ahead of Election Day. Medical professionals advised the brief pause for recovery, and the campaign said an updated schedule would be released soon. No further details on the extent of the injuries or the investigation’s findings have been released.