Mary Peltola missed nearly one in five votes as Alaska House member

Records reveal that Democratic Senate nominee Mary Peltola missed nearly one out of every five votes while serving in the Alaska House of Representatives. She also skipped more than a third of Bethel City Council meetings during her tenure there. Legislative documents show she was absent for 794 of 4,265 state House votes between 1999 and 2009. That figure represents an absence rate of 18.6 percent across her five terms in office. City records indicate she missed 22 of the 60 council meetings held from 2011 to 2013, a gap of 36.67 percent.

Her attendance numbers are now fueling serious questions about her dedication to public service as she moves toward Alaska's four-candidate general election. This race is under intense scrutiny and could determine who holds control of the U.S. Senate. Republican National Committee spokesperson Nick Poche issued a sharp statement to Fox News Digital defending Dan Sullivan against Peltola. He wrote that Alaskans deserve an all-the-time workhorse like Sullivan rather than someone who knifes them in the back when she even bothers to show up.

The worst stretch for Peltola occurred during the 23rd Legislature from 2003 to 2004, where she missed 334 of 1,019 Alaska House votes. Her absences spiked again later with nine missing council meetings in 2013 and eleven skipped sessions in 2012. Critics have also pointed to her time in the U.S. Congress from 2022 to 2024, where she missed 235 of 1,370 roll-call votes according to GovTrack data. That absence rate came to 17.2 percent during those two years.

Beyond mere attendance, opponents argue her congressional service failed to deliver tangible results for Alaska. Her critics note that no bills or resolutions where she was the primary sponsor made it into law. In contrast, Dan Sullivan has had several of his measures signed by the governor. The National Republican Senatorial Committee posted a stinging remark on X in January stating she could not even get a single bill passed while he achieved significant legislative wins. They added that now she wants a promotion to the Senate.

A spokesperson for Peltola's campaign pushed back against these claims when speaking to Fox News Digital. She explained that three of her seven children were born while she served in the state House, leading to necessary maternity leave. The team argued this did not stop her from working hard for Alaskans or passing bills to improve public safety in rural areas and boost energy production. They also noted she spent summers at fish camp and that some absences happened during official fishing months or due to other council priorities.

The campaign insists that excluding excused absences, Peltola missed only about 6 percent of votes overall. Her supporters highlight her continued advancement of bipartisan measures throughout her entire career in the state legislature. However, the GOP side maintains a different perspective on her rival's record. A spokesperson for Dan Sullivan claimed he has also missed a significant number of votes and committee hearings. They called his absences an insult to Alaskans and accused him of slacking off by missing fisheries subcommittee hearings.

Peltola officially announced her bid in January with the goal of unseating two-term Senator Dan Sullivan, who is backed by President Donald Trump. She finished ahead of Sullivan in Tuesday's primary election under Alaska's unique nonpartisan top-four system. All candidates from different parties appeared on the same ballot before voters used ranked-choice voting to pick their final representative in the general election. With four months until midterms remain, this race stands out as one of twelve contests that will determine the Senate majority.