Whatever Mary Peltola Wants to Do 2026

It may be pretty cold up in Alaska, but the state’s 2026 senate and gubernatorial races are heating up.

National commentators have pegged both of these races as “solid red.” But Fish Queen Mary Peltola is already making a big splash (much like a wild Alaska salmon).

In a new poll, we find that 52% of Alaska voters have a favorable opinion of Peltola, compared with 43% unfavorable, for a +9 net favorability. Peltola is the only recent statewide elected official who is viewed favorably by a majority of Alaska voters. 

Were Peltola to run for U.S. Senate in 2026, we find her narrowly behind incumbent Dan Sullivan — by just 1 point! — in a hypothetical matchup.

Were Peltola to enter the race for governor, we find that she would be the leading candidate, even in several hypothetical ranked-choice scenarios.
 

The poll also has some bad news for Alaska’s flop senator Lisa Murkowski, whose favorability in Alaska has plummeted from a +1 to -23-point margin since March. Trust us — you don’t need to be a pollster to get that voting for the “One Big Beautiful Bill” may just cause a big, ugly drop in your chances of winning reelection.

Read the full poll here.

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Here are some other highlights from DFP this week:
 

Call it as you see it

Nearly two years into Israel’s attacks against civilians living in Gaza, Israel’s conduct in the region has only become more and more brutal.

In recent months, a hunger crisis has unfolded in Gaza as the Israeli government has severely restricted aid. More than 1,000 people seeking aid have been killed by Israeli forces, according to the United Nations.

In April 2024, Data for Progress polling found that 39% of voters believed that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza. In a new survey, 47% of voters now believe Israel is committing genocide, compared with just 33% who say it isn’t — a margin of 14 points.

That includes 66% of Democrats, even as many Democratic politicians still refuse to use the G-word.
 

The poll also finds that a majority of voters (54%) — including 75% of Democrats and 59% of Independents — think the US should prioritize humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza over military aid and weapons for Israel.

And a strong majority of voters (64%) say that President Donald Trump “should demand that Israel let food and medical supplies into Gaza.

While our politicians still often lag behind American public opinion on this issue, at least we have Ms. Rachel out here advocating for Palestinians in Gaza…does she want to run for president in 2028?

Read the full poll here.


Anti-social behavior

It feels like most top Republican officials have been trained in a Pavlov-type experiment, because every time they hear the word “Social Security,” they start salivating at the idea of trying to give the entire program away to corporations and billionaires.

At least, that’s the only explanation we can think of for why Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent decided to admit last week that the new “Trump accounts” are a back door to “privatizing Social Security.” Because the proposal is incredibly unpopular with voters across party lines — 88% of Democrats, 66% of Independents, and 59% of Republicans say we should leave Social Security as is.

We’ve all heard about the loneliness epidemic in America — and now y’all want to take the “social” out of “social security?” Seems like a bad idea.

Read the full crosstabs here.

DFP In The News

City & State: New Yorkers favor rent stabilization and social housing to solve housing crisis, new poll shows

Los Angeles Times: Will pro-Trump Latinos vote Republican in the 2026 midterms? A new poll casts doubts

MSNBC: Trump's failing Latino voters — and Democrats are missing a huge opportunity

Zeteo: EXCLUSIVE: More American Voters Than Not Say Israel Is Committing Genocide in Gaza

The 19th: Mary Peltola would be the strongest likely candidate for Alaska governor, poll shows

Meme of the Week