Mary Peltola facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Mary Peltola
Akalleq


Co-Chair of the Blue Dog Coalition for Policy
In office May 24, 2023 – January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Jim Costa
Succeeded by	Lou Correa
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alaska's at-large district
In office September 13, 2022 – January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Don Young
Succeeded by	Nick Begich III
Member of the Alaska House of Representatives
In office January 19, 1999 – January 19, 2009
Preceded by	Ivan Ivan
Succeeded by	Bob Herron
Constituency	38th district (2003–2009) 39th district (1999–2003)

Personal details
Born	Mary Sattler (1973-08-31) August 31, 1973 (age 51) Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.
Citizenship	United States Orutsararmiut Native Council
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Jonathan Kapsner (divorced) Joe Nelson (divorced) Buzzy Peltola (died 2023)
Children	7
Website

Mary Peltola (born August 31, 1973) is an American politician. She served as a U.S. representative for Alaska from 2022 to 2025. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming a U.S. representative, she was a judge for the Orutsararmiut Native Council's tribal court. She also led the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission and was a city councilor in Bethel. She also served in the Alaska House of Representatives.

Peltola won a special election in August 2022. She defeated Sarah Palin and Nick Begich III. This election used a new system called ranked-choice voting. When she won, Mary Peltola made history in several ways. She became the first Alaska Native person in Congress. She was also the first woman to represent Alaska in the House of Representatives. Plus, she was the first person born in Alaska to be elected to the House. She was also the first Democrat to serve as Alaska's representative since 1972.

Peltola was elected again for a full term in November 2022. However, she was defeated in her re-election bid in 2024 by Republican Nick Begich III.

Early Life and Education

Mary Peltola is from the Yup'ik people of Western Alaska. She was born in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 31, 1973. Her father, Ward Sattler, moved to Alaska to work as a pilot and teacher. Her mother, Elizabeth "LizAnn" Piicigaq Williams, is Yup'ik from Kwethluk.

Mary grew up in several Alaskan communities, including Kwethluk and Bethel. As a child, she traveled with her father when he campaigned for Congressman Don Young. In college, she worked for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. She studied elementary education at the University of Northern Colorado and took classes at other universities in Alaska.

In 1995, Peltola won the Miss National Congress of American Indians pageant. During the competition, she performed two Yup'ik dances. She wore traditional clothing, including a squirrel skin parka and a wolf hair headdress.

Early Career Steps

In 1996, Mary Peltola worked as an intern for the Alaska Legislature. Later that year, she ran for a seat in the Bethel region but did not win. She also worked as a reporter for a time.

Serving in the Alaska House of Representatives (1999–2009)

In 1998, Mary Peltola was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives. This is a group of lawmakers who make laws for the state of Alaska. She won after a second try against Ivan Ivan in the primary election. She was re-elected several times, usually without much opposition.

In the House, Peltola worked on important committees. These included committees for Finance, Resources, and Health and Social Services. She also helped to rebuild the Bush Caucus. This is a group of lawmakers who work together for rural communities in Alaska.

In 2004, Peltola spoke out against rules from the No Child Left Behind Act. These rules would have stopped schools in Western Alaska from giving tests in the native Yupik language. She also wrote a law that allowed teachers to be excused from jury duty. This was for teachers in schools that had not met certain progress goals.

Working in Local Offices (2009–2022)

Peltola speaking before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in 2018

From 2008 to 2014, Peltola managed community development for the Donlin Creek Mine. In 2010, she helped Republican U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski with her successful campaign.

In 2011, Peltola was elected to the Bethel City Council. She served there until 2013. From 2015 to 2017, she worked as a lobbyist in Alaska. A lobbyist tries to influence lawmakers on behalf of a group or cause. After 2016, Peltola became the executive director of the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. From 2020 to 2021, she served as a judge for the Orutsararmiut Native Council's tribal court.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives (2022–2025)

Elections for Congress

2022 Special Election

Peltola during the 117th Congress

In 2022, a special election was held to fill the seat of Congressman Don Young after he passed away. This election used a new system called ranked-choice voting. In this system, voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no one gets more than half the votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Their votes are then given to the voter's next choice. This continues until one candidate has over 50% of the votes.

Mary Peltola was one of the top candidates to advance to the final rounds. She was the only Democrat. She faced two Republicans, former governor Sarah Palin and Nick Begich III. Peltola won the election, making her the first Alaska Native to serve in Congress.

2022 General Election

Peltola celebrating her 2022 re-election

Mary Peltola ran for a full term in the November 2022 general election. She received the most votes in the primary election. Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, publicly said she would vote for Peltola. She said her main duty was to the people of Alaska, not just her party.

Many people who knew former Congressman Don Young also supported Peltola. This included his daughters and former staff members. On November 23, Peltola was declared the winner. She defeated Sarah Palin again, winning with 55% of the ranked-choice votes.

2024 Election

In the 2024 election, Mary Peltola ran for re-election. The main candidates were Peltola, Nick Begich III, and Nancy Dahlstrom. Dahlstrom later withdrew from the race.

On November 20, it was announced that Nick Begich III had defeated Peltola. In the final round of ranked-choice voting, Begich received 51.3% of the votes, while Peltola received 48.7%.

Time in Office

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi swears in Peltola as her husband, Gene "Buzzy" Peltola, looks on

Mary Peltola was sworn in as Alaska's U.S. representative on September 13, 2022. Her swearing-in was a historic moment. For the first time ever, Congress had an Alaska Native, four Native Americans, and a Native Hawaiian serving at the same time. She is the fourth Native woman elected to Congress.

On September 29, 2022, Peltola passed her first bill through the House. This bill aimed to create an Office of Food Security within the Department of Veterans Affairs. The bill passed with a large majority vote.

During a railroad worker dispute in 2022, Peltola voted against a bill that would force a new contract on railroad workers. She said she could not support a contract that did not include paid sick days for the workers.

In February 2023, Peltola announced that she had chosen Josh Revak to run her Alaska office. Revak was a former Republican state senator. Her chief of staff, Alex Ortiz, also worked for her predecessor, Don Young.

Committee Work

In the 118th Congress, Mary Peltola served on several important committees:

Committee on Natural Resources
- Subcommittee on Federal Lands
- Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
- Subcommittee on Aviation
- Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation

Groups She Joined

Mary Peltola was also a member of these groups in Congress:

Blue Dog Coalition
Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment

What Mary Peltola Believes In

Energy

Peltola supports the ConocoPhillips Willow Project. This project aims to increase oil development in the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska. She asked the White House to approve the project, which they did.

Fisheries

Peltola has focused a lot on fisheries during her campaigns. She supports changing the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. This law helps protect fisheries and ocean environments. She believes the law should focus more on protecting the environment, not just on how much fish can be caught.

Gun Rights

In June 2023, Peltola voted with Republicans on a bill about pistol braces. She was one of only two Democrats to do so. In her 2024 re-election campaign, the NRA supported her. She was the only Democratic candidate for Congress to get their support that year.

Healthcare

In January 2023, Peltola voted against a bill to remove COVID-19 vaccine rules for healthcare workers. In February 2023, she also voted against ending the COVID-19 national emergency.

Immigration

In February 2023, Peltola voted against a plan that would allow non-citizens to vote in local elections in Washington, D.C. In May 2024, she voted against a proposed law called the "Equal Representation Act." This law would have stopped non-citizens from being counted when deciding how many U.S. Representatives each state gets.

Foreign Policy

In 2023, Peltola voted against a resolution that would have asked President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria.

LGBT Rights

In December 2022, Peltola voted for the Respect for Marriage Act. This law protects the right to same-sex and interracial marriages across the United States.

Personal Life

Mary Peltola is the first U.S. Representative from Alaska to be born in the state. She is an Alaska Native and a member of the Orutsararmiut Native Council. She is an Orthodox Christian and belongs to the Orthodox Church in America.

Peltola has four biological children and three stepchildren. Her third husband, Eugene "Buzzy" Peltola Jr., worked as the Alaska director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He passed away in 2023 after a plane crash.