Sullivan and Peltola clash in Alaska Senate debate as race tightens
What's new: The Cook Political Report shifted the contest from Lean Republican to Toss Up, raising the stakes in a key Senate race.
Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic challenger Mary Peltola sparred in a televised Alaska Senate debate Thursday night, underscoring the intensity of one of the cycle's closest races. The matchup comes as Sullivan seeks reelection and Peltola, a former U.S. representative, tries to flip the seat. The exchange turned tense when Sullivan accused Peltola of relying on note cards and later pressed her over reports about staff turnover in her congressional office. Peltola pushed back, saying she was simply better prepared and calling the allegations about former staffers exaggerated or false. The race also includes another Republican, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., though he did not qualify for the debate stage.