Pro-LGBTQ+ Senate candidate Mary Peltola denies using anti-gay slur around staff
Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska (Getty Images)
Pro-LGBTQ+ Senate candidate Mary Peltola has denied an allegation that she used the anti-gay slur “f*****”, after a New York Times investigation detailed claims from former staffers about angry outbursts and offensive language.
The Alaska Democrat, who is running for the US Senate, was accused by former aides of using slurs during workplace blow-ups. Four former staffers reportedly told the Times they personally witnessed Peltola use “f*****” over the years they worked for her, sometimes referring to staff members.
The report was based on interviews with nine former staff members and included references to text messages and photos which were seen by the publication.
The campaign has acknowledged Peltola used and regretted using the ableist slur “r*******”, but claimed she had never used the anti-gay slur.
Campaign response and grief
Campaign spokesperson Harry Child said Peltola’s behaviour should be understood in the context of bereavement in 2023, when her husband and mother died.
“At the time of their passing, Mary was parenting kids through their own grief, serving full-time in the US House of Representatives thousands of miles from home, and running a competitive re-election campaign all while shouldering the enormous burden of grief,” Child said in a statement as per The Guardian.
Child added: “Like any person who has gone through multiple personal tragedies in the span of a few months, Mary sometimes struggled to deal with her grief. But she treats her staff with respect and care, and she maintains close positive relationships with her staff spanning her nearly 30 years in public service.”
Race stakes and political reaction
Peltola is set to face Republican senator Dan Sullivan in the midterm elections on 3 November. Democrats need to win a net gain of at least four Senate seats to secure a majority.
Sullivan described the behaviour reported by the Times as “sad” and “disturbing”.
Peltola is an Alaska Native (Yup’ik) politician who became the first Alaska Native elected to the US House, winning a 2022 special election and then the general election. She has appeared at Alaska Pride events and has been publicly associated with LGBTQ+ advocacy groups in the state, as Alaska debates over trans inclusion in sport have also drawn national attention, including when the Alaska board of education voted to limit trans girls’ participation in sports in 2023.
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