Sen. Dan Sullivan, Mary Peltola advance in Alaska Senate primary

Washington — GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan and former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola are among those advancing to the general election in November in Alaska's Senate race, CBS News projects, as Sullivan defends his seat in a race that could be key to determining control of the chamber next year. 

Though Alaska hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 2008, Sullivan, a second-term senator and a Marine veteran who worked at the State Department under the George W. Bush administration, faces a formidable opponent in Peltola. 

Peltola, 52, became the first Democrat to represent the state in the House in 50 years in 2022, though she ultimately lost her reelection bid for Alaska's sole House seat the following cycle. But Peltola, the first Alaska Native to serve in Congress, fell short by less than 3 points in the 2024 race, despite President Trump winning the state by 13 points. 

With midterm dynamics traditionally boosting the party opposing the White House, Democrats are hoping Peltola, who's billed herself as an independent voice for Alaskans, can flip the seat in this year's election, getting them one step closer to taking control of the chamber.

In Alaska, the top-four vote getters in the primary advance to the general election. The other two candidates have not yet been determined. 

As Sen. Sullivan, 61, fights to hold onto his seat, which he last won by a comfortable margin in 2020, Republicans are investing in the contest. The Senate Leadership Fund has announced $17 million in advertising spending to boost Sullivan in the race. 

On the Democratic side, the Senate Majority PAC has also invested, with more than $12 million in television reservations to support Peltola. But as Peltola is campaigning to flip the seat, she's drawn a line between herself and one high-profile national Democrat. Peltola's campaign rejected the support of former Vice President Kamala Harris days ahead of the primary, after Harris' PAC sought to fundraise on her behalf.

To flip control of the Senate, where Republicans currently hold 53 seats, Democrats would have to win four seats while defending a handful of their own. The 2026 map has long been viewed as difficult for Democrats, with few opportunities for pickups. But with races like the one in Alaska, the party sees an opportunity to improve its chances.