AOC fundraises for moderate Dem Mary Peltola despite her pro-oil record and NRA support

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA: Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is flexing her fundraising muscle, but this time it is not for a fellow progressive firebrand.

Instead, the democratic socialist from Queens is backing Mary Peltola, a moderate Alaska Democrat with a pro-gun record and a drilling-friendly resume that does not exactly resonate with progressives.

“I’m reaching out to ask if you can split a $5 donation between Mary Peltola’s campaign for US Senate and our movement for progress?” Ocasio-Cortez wrote in a fundraising email sent Tuesday. “Mary is running on a platform of systemic change, she’ll fight in the Senate to lower grocery costs and build new housing Alaskans can afford."

Mary Peltola’s pro-gun, pro-energy record omitted

Missing from Ocasio-Cortez’s appeal was the fact that Peltola’s campaign priorities are listed as “fish, family, freedom,” and that she was the only Democrat endorsed by the National Rifle Association in 2024.

Peltola, 52, rose to national prominence after winning Alaska’s lone House seat in a 2022 special election, where she defeated former Gov Sarah Palin. However, her time in Washington was short-lived. She lost her re-election bid in 2024 to Republican Nick Begich, sending her back home. Now, she has entered a high-stakes Senate race.

While serving in Congress, Peltola carved out a reputation as a pro-energy Democrat, lobbying the Biden administration to allow Arctic drilling and openly celebrating the approval of ConocoPhillips’s controversial $8 billion Willow Project.

Energy PAC cash clashes with progressive fundraising pitch

Peltola’s 2024 campaign also benefited from deep-pocketed allies in the energy sector. Super PACs linked to Chevron and ConocoPhillips spent at least $310,000 backing her run through campaign support and television ads.

That reality sits awkwardly alongside the claim in Ocasio-Cortez’s donation link. “Alexandria and Mary take $0 from corporations, and each of their campaigns depend on all of you,” it reads.

Ocasio-Cortez’s endorsement marks a notable shift from the candidates she has previously helped fundraise for. In the past, her beneficiaries largely came from the progressive wing of the party, including fellow Squad members Jamaal Bowman and Ilhan Omar, as well as New York Attorney General Letitia James.

By contrast, backing Peltola signals a willingness on Ocasio-Cortez’s part to support candidates who do not check every ideological box as long as they can win.

AOC’s Mary Peltola backing fuels 2028 Senate buzz

Political observers say the move could signal that Ocasio-Cortez is thinking several chess moves ahead, possibly toward a Senate run of her own in 2028.

National Democrats have reportedly viewed Peltola’s Senate bid as a coup as the party looks to flip control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms. Having already won a statewide race, Peltola is considered one of their strongest bets in Alaska.

“Ocasio-Cortez wants to show she’s willing to put the party first, party over ideology, and that is sort of a step into a more moderate version of herself,” Lonna Atkeson, a political scientist at Florida State University, told the New York Post. “She is trying to demonstrate leadership in a very Nancy Pelosi way, and she’s like, ‘Who can win?’” Atkeson believes the Peltola endorsement points more toward Senate ambitions than presidential ones.

In a statewide race, Ocasio-Cortez would need to appeal to moderate New York Democrats outside her deep-blue Bronx-Queens district. These voters may view Peltola as a model Democrat rather than a dealbreaker.

Chuck Schumer cash gap sparks AOC Senate speculation

That calculus becomes even more interesting when money enters the picture. Sen Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who would be the incumbent in a 2028 race, raised less than $500,000 last year. That is a modest haul compared with Ocasio-Cortez’s $20 million fundraising record.

The disparity has fueled speculation that the 78-year-old Senate leader might opt not to seek re-election when his term expires. “There’s a lot of concern and frustration within the Democratic Party about how Chuck Schumer has done things, and that’s a potential target there that you could imagine someone like Ocasio-Cortez finding appealing,” Hans Noel, an associate professor of government at Georgetown University, told the Post. “For all that she needs friends and allies from within the party, and supporting Peltola helps with that.”

For now, Peltola’s focus remains squarely on Alaska. She is challenging Republican Sen Dan Sullivan, who is seeking a third term. 

Early polling suggests a nail-biter. A survey conducted earlier this week shows Peltola narrowly leading Sullivan by 2 percentage points.