OPINION: We’re backing Mary Peltola for Congress. You should too.

Alaskans have an unprecedented number of options in this summer’s special congressional election. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the volume of candidates, no matter where on the political spectrum you fall. Luckily, for those of us who’ve had the privilege of working with Mary Peltola, the choice is easy. We’re backing Mary Peltola for Congress. And we think you should too.

Mary is part Yup’ik Eskimo and grew up in rural Alaska on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. By the age of 14, she was captain of her own commercial fishing crew and she won her race for the state House at age 24, earning reelection four times in a row. She’s one of the toughest and most charismatic campaigners the Alaska Democratic Party has seen in a long time.

When it comes to policymaking, none of the other progressive candidates have the depth of experience that Mary does. Mary spent 10 years reaching across the aisle to get things done in the Alaska Legislature. She helped resurrect the bipartisan Bush Caucus, advocating for investments like infrastructure projects and new schools for rural Alaskans, and served as the group’s chair for eight years. Mary’s time on the House Finance Committee, the Resources Committee, Health, Education and Social Services Committee, and the Transportation Committee, among others, makes her intimately familiar with the biggest challenges facing our state.

In office, Mary had among the most productive legislative sessions to date. She enacted the Fisherman’s Tax Obligation Loan Fund, passing legislation governing judicial district boundaries, and created allowances for college scholarship funds. Mary knows how to run a campaign, win a campaign, and how to be effective once elected.

Mary’s qualifications don’t just begin and end with her legislative achievements. She will bring to Washington, D.C., a set of experiences more uniquely grounded in the place she is serving than virtually any of her peers. Mary has spent years representing tribal organizations like the Association of Village Council Presidents, Tanana Chiefs Conference and the Tlingit & Haida Central Council. She brings a nuanced perspective on resource development, having worked for both Donlin Mine and now leading the restoration of king and chum salmon runs in western Alaska, bringing over 100 tribes together to fight back against climate change. Mary understands our state’s twin priorities of environmental conservation and economic independence, and is a relentless advocate for including rural Alaskan leaders at the table on decisions around rural development.

Mary will fight for the rights and values we most need to protect at the federal level. She believes in individual liberties like a woman’s right to choose, and will work to enshrine necessary protections for women’s reproductive health care in federal law.

We need leaders in Washington who understand and have the courage to acknowledge the climate crisis. In the Arctic, we’re already experiencing irreversible damage to the environment at faster rates than the Lower 48. Mary grew up subsistence fishing and knows the unique severity of the challenge we face. Mary knows Alaskans need essential services to get good jobs and support their families here. She will work to provide Alaskans access to affordable, quality child care and early childhood education options, better educational outcomes for young people, and investments in broadband infrastructure to create good paying jobs for the next generation of Alaska families.

The quantity of candidates is more than what we’re used to. But when it comes to quality, there’s only one with the breadth of experience and talent for effective legislating that Alaska needs now. Mary Peltola has our vote, and we believe she should earn yours too.

Eric Croft and Beth Kerttula represented Anchorage and Juneau, respectively, in the Alaska State House.

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