Mary Peltola

American politician (born 1973)

Mary Sattler Peltola (Yup'ik: Akalleq; born August 31, 1973) is an American Democratic politician. Peltola is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alaska's at-large congressional district since 2022. She is the first woman to represent Alaska in the U.S. House and the first Alaska Native in congress.[1]

Mary Peltola
Akalleq
Official portrait, 2022
Co-Chair of the Blue Dog Coalition
Assumed office
May 24, 2023
Preceded byJim Costa
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Alaska's at-large district
Assumed office
September 13, 2022
Preceded byDon Young
Member of the Alaska House of Representatives
In office
January 19, 1999 – January 19, 2009
Preceded byIvan Ivan
Succeeded byBob Herron
Constituency
  • 38th district (2003–2009)
  • 39th district (1999–2003)
Personal details
Born
Mary Sattler

(1973-08-31) August 31, 1973 (age 50)
Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.
CitizenshipUnited States
Orutsararmiut Native Council
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
  • Jonathan Kapsner
    (Undated.divorced)
  • Joe Nelson
    (Undated.divorced)
  • Buzzy Peltola
    (died 2023)
Children7 (3 stepchildren)
WebsiteHouse website

Peltola is Yup'ik from Western Alaska. She was born in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 31, 1973.[2] Her Yup'ik name is Akalleq (transl. the one who rolled).[3][4]

Before, she was a member of the Alaska House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009.

Peltola was a candidate for the United States House of Representatives for Alaska's at-large congressional district in the 2022 special election to fill in the vacancy of Don Young and in the November 2022 general election.[5][6] She won the election on August 31, 2022, defeating former Governor Sarah Palin.[1]

Peltola is the first Alaska Native member of Congress and the only Russian Orthodox member of Congress.[7]

She has four biological children and three stepchildren.[8]

Her third husband, Eugene "Buzzy" Peltola Jr., was Alaska director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.[9][10] He died in September 2023 after being in a plane crash.[11][12]

References change

  1. 1.0 1.1 Samuels, Iris (31 August 2022). "Democrat Mary Peltola wins special U.S. House election, will be first Alaska Native elected to Congress". Anchorage Daily News. Archived from the original on September 1, 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  2. "Mary Sattler Kapsner". The Alaska State Legislature. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  3. Samuels, Iris (August 8, 2022). "For two candidates, Alaska's U.S. House race is an opportunity to make history". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  4. House Natural Resources Subcommittee for Water, Oceans, And Wildlife (2021). Written Testimony of Mary Sattler Peltola (PDF). Alaska State Legislature. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 25, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  5. Ruskin, Liz; Media, Alaska Public (2022-04-02). "Sarah Palin among 50 candidates running to fill remainder of Don Young's term in US House". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  6. "Candidate list keeps growing with former lawmaker Mary Sattler Peltola". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
  7. Brodey, Sam (October 21, 2022). "How a Democrat Won a State With Just 12% Dem Voters". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on November 2, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  8. Ruskin, Liz (June 30, 2022). "Peltola's superpower: US House nominee disarms with unexpected niceness". Alaska Public Media. Archived from the original on September 1, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  9. Wang, Jackie; Ackley, Kate (August 31, 2022). "Peltola wins Alaska special election to fill Young's House seat". Roll Call. Archived from the original on September 1, 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  10. MacArthur, Anna Rose (July 10, 2018). "Gene Peltola Jr. Of Bethel Named To Alaska's Top BIA Position". KYUK. Archived from the original on September 1, 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  11. AKPM Staff (September 13, 2023). "Rep. Mary Peltola's husband dies after Alaska plane crash". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  12. "Rep. Mary Peltola's husband killed in plane crash in Alaska". Anchorage Daily News. September 13, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.