Alaska Senate hopeful Mary Peltola loses campaign manager just before primary

Mary Peltola’s bid for one of Alaska’s two U.S. Senate seats entered a turbulent phase when the campaign confirmed that Anton McParland, a longtime political adviser and manager, is no longer part of the team just days before the primary. The move follows earlier rumors that Peltola had been difficult with staff and that her campaign appeared to decline an endorsement from former Democratic presidential contender Kamala Harris.

Polling data released recently placed Peltola ahead of incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan by a slim 1.6 percentage points, a lead that sits inside the margin of error. Chris Gustafson, communications director for the Senate Leadership Fund, seized on the staff shake-up, likening it to a “Saturday Night Massacre” and accusing Peltola of answering to national party leaders rather than Alaskans. Alaska’s unique jungle primary will advance the top four vote-getters to the November ballot, meaning the fallout from this internal disruption could influence which candidates move forward and affect Democratic hopes of reclaiming a Senate seat.