Grace Panetta

Political reporter

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Former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola holds a commanding lead in the 2026 election for governor of Alaska if she chooses to jump into the race, a new survey from progressive pollster Data for Progress (DFP) shows.

Peltola, who was elected to Alaska’s at-large U.S. House seat in a 2022 special election and then to a full term in the House before losing her seat in 2024, is widely viewed as the most formidable potential Democratic candidate for either governor or U.S. Senate in 2026. She was the first woman to represent Alaska in the U.S. House, the first Alaska Native person elected to Congress and could be the state’s first Alaska Native governor.

“I think that’s a huge thing, not just for represe

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