Peltola not attending DNC as campaign cites primary election

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - A campaign spokesperson for Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, who is one of the state’s automatic Democratic delegates and also facing 11 challengers in the race for Alaska’s only congressional seat, cited Tuesday’s state primary election as the reason she will not be attending the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

“She is not going to the DNC convention because she will be busy campaigning in-state during Alaska’s primary, which is August 20th,” Peltola Communications Director Shannon Mason said in an Aug. 12 statement to Alaska’s News Source.

The Peltola campaign told Alaska’s News Source that the representative is spending Monday at an Anchorage “Get Out The Vote” event and will be in Soldotna Tuesday, where she plans to address supporters across the state virtually.

Mason’s statement comes two weeks after Peltola was the only one of Alaska’s 20 Democratic delegates to abstain from voting from the DNC’s virtual roll call, when the votes showed Alaska’s 19 voting delegates casting ballots to support Vice President Kamala Harris.

Responding to questions on Aug. 6 asking for Peltola’s response to Harris naming Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., her running mate, and why Peltola had abstained from the DNC’s virtual roll call voting, Mason sent the following statement:

“Mary has been traveling around the Southeast, meeting with different communities and hearing about their diverse needs. She did not vote in the virtual convention process. She has yet to have the opportunity to speak directly with the Vice President since she became the presumptive nominee about the issues uniquely important to our state,” Mason said.

“If Vice President Harris is elected, Mary looks forward to a productive relationship with the President and the Vice President and will work with the delegation to lift up Alaskans’ unique needs,” Mason went on to say. “Right now, our nation is navigating through divisive political waters. Mary thinks it’s a time for unity, not division, especially as we face significant challenges like the natural gas shortage in Cook Inlet and the declining yields from our fisheries. Mary’s focus remains on bringing home more wins for Alaska, like Willow and the hundreds of millions of dollars she helped secure to revitalize the Railbelt Grid, uniting Alaskans around common causes rather than fueling partisan flames.”

Late last month, after President Joe Biden announced he would not seek reelection, Peltola would not commit to endorsing any U.S. presidential candidate during a nearly 30-minute interview with reporters.

During the news conference, Peltola said even though she voted for Biden in the past, she was very concerned with how his administration has restricted energy development in Alaska.

Outside of pro-energy policies, Peltola commented on what Harris could do to help earn her vote.

“I’m going to be really looking at her policy positions specifically on energy, and while I really appreciate her stance on women’s reproductive rights, social security, voting rights, and a host of other things, as the representative for Alaska, my number one job is looking at our economy and our energy situation and which of the two candidates will be better in terms of our energy portfolio,” Peltola told reporters.

During the same time period, Alaska Democratic Party leadership has released statements unified around Harris.

“We are thrilled that Vice President Harris has secured the Party’s nomination,” said Chair Mike Wenstrup. “She has demonstrated over and over that she is capable of winning in November and leading our nation.”

“In the short time since Vice President Harris officially announced and declared her intent to run, we’ve witnessed and been part of a monumental moment in our nation’s history,” said Anchorage Vice Chair and Alaska Democratic Delegate Rozlyn Grady-Wyche. “We will come together in Chicago fully united behind the nominee to celebrate and support her path to victory.”

When Alaska’s News Source asked state Democratic party leadership for clarification on the differences between their and Peltola’s statements, Alaska Democratic Party Executive Director Lindsay Kavanaugh reiterated the party’s support for Harris and Walz in a statement.

“As the Chair [Wenstrup] articulated last week, we have been focusing on the votes of our pledged/elected delegates,” Kavanaugh said. “We are proud to say all 15 voted in support of Kamala Harris.”

“The Alaska Democratic Party fully supports Vice President Harris choosing Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate,” Kavanaugh went on to say. “Governor Walz has experience and demonstrated leadership at the state and federal level that adds strength to an already strong ticket. As a gun owner, veteran, former union member, and working-class champion, Governor Walz will prioritize issues important to Alaskans like protecting personal freedoms and lowering the cost of living.”

Copyright 2024 KTUU. All rights reserved.