Humiliation for Kamala Harris as rising star Democrat REJECTS failed presidential candidate’s endorsement in upcoming election

Democratic congressional hopeful Mary Peltola has publicly rejected an endorsement from Kamala Harris, distancing herself from the former vice-president as she campaigns for one of Alaska's two US Senate seats in November's midterms. Peltola's spokesperson said she had not approved the endorsement, which appeared in a Harris fundraising email, stressing that Peltola "isn't seeking endorsements from anyone from the Lower 48" and remains focused solely on Alaska. The snub matters because Harris, who lost Alaska by 13 points in the 2024 presidential election, is now regarded by many Democrats as a liability in competitive races, and Republicans have seized on the endorsement to try to tie Peltola to her unpopular former administration.

Peltola, seeking to become Alaska's first Democrat senator in twelve years, is running on a "fish, family and freedom" platform against a crowded field of sixteen candidates, including Republican incumbent Dan S. Sullivan. Ten of eleven polls reportedly favour Peltola, though a New York Times/Siena survey predicts Sullivan will retain his seat; confusion over another candidate with a similar name, Daniel J. Sullivan, has also worried Republicans. Alaska's other senator, Republican Lisa Murkowski, has previously backed Peltola but is supporting Sullivan this time, while critics, including independent state lawmaker Rebecca Himschoot, dismissed Harris's endorsement as unhelpful given her own weak showing in the state and unclear political future.