Mary Peltola has been forced to halt key campaign events after she and her family were injured in a car crash in Anchorage ten days before polling day, her team confirmed, but the Democrat is said to be 'eager to get back on the campaign trail'.

Ms Peltola, 53, suffered minor injuries on Saturday 24 October when the vehicle carrying her and her family was struck by another driver as they travelled to the Alaska Federation of Natives annual banquet, her campaign said. Medical professionals advised her to rest, forcing the postponement of events in Fairbanks on Sunday and Bethel on Monday.

'Mary and her family sustained minor injuries but are in good spirits,' campaign manager Cheryl Bruce said in a written statement issued by Alaskans for Mary. She said the two events would be rescheduled for later in the week and that Ms Peltola was disappointed the crash had delayed the start of her 'Alaska Always Tour'.

Anchorage police said three vehicles were involved and that none of the injuries was life-threatening. The incident remains under investigation. A campaign spokesperson said there was no reason to believe it was politically motivated.

Tour Set To Resume on Tuesday

The eight-stop tour was billed as a final push before election day on 3 November. The campaign said Ms Peltola would resume on Tuesday with a stop in Homer, with events in Kenai, Seward, Juneau, Anchorage and Palmer still going ahead. She has centred her campaign on the cost of living.

Ms Peltola, a former congresswoman who won her seat in a 2022 special election and lost it in 2024, is challenging Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan in a contest the Cook Political Report rates a toss-up.

A Public Policy Polling survey conducted on 14 and 15 October found Peltola leading Sullivan by 48 per cent to 47 per cent among registered voters, with 5 per cent undecided. If elected, she would be the first Democrat to win a Senate race in Alaska since Mark Begich in 2008.

Alaska continues counting absentee ballots after election day, with all such ballots required to be counted no later than 15 days after the general election. Further rounds of ranked-choice tabulation may also be necessary.

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Ballot Row and Justice Department Lawsuit

The race has been complicated by a second candidate with a similar name. Daniel J. Sullivan Jr, a teacher and independent candidate, is challenging Republican incumbent Senator Dan S. Sullivan. Both candidates advanced to the general election alongside Peltola and Republican Gerald Heikes of Palmer. Voters will rank their choices under Alaska's ranked-choice voting system.

State election officials initially removed Mr Sullivan from the ballot, saying his campaign had been launched in bad faith, but a state court and the Alaska Supreme Court, in June, ruled he could remain.

Republicans have accused him of being a spoiler candidate. Ms Peltola's campaign and Alaska Democrats have denied any involvement, and Mr Sullivan says his candidacy is genuine.

The Justice Department has sued Alaska's Division of Elections, seeking to block certification of the result if incumbent Senator Sullivan loses and the votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan Jr could have affected the outcome. The department argues that the challenger's candidacy could confuse voters and violates federal law.

President Donald Trump said on Friday that he had ordered the suit. A department spokesperson called the challenger's candidacy 'frivolous', and Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the action on Sunday.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee called the lawsuit a 'sham'. Derek Muller, a University of Notre Dame law professor, said it probably would not survive long. Senator Sullivan's campaign said he had not asked for it. Ms Peltola's campaign is among those seeking to join the case.

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