A Democratic Senate candidate in Alaska is campaigning in remote, roadless regions where soaring living costs—including $40 for paper towels, $21 for oat milk, and skyrocketing diesel prices—have fueled economic frustration. Her bid marks the first serious Democratic push to reclaim the seat in nearly two decades, with voters in isolated coastal towns facing steep utility bills due to generator reliance amid global fuel price spikes. The campaign highlights how inflation and logistical challenges in Alaska’s interior could shape a tight race.
Democrats believe circumstances have aligned for them to win a slew of competitive elections in the stateMary Peltola’s campaign to represent Alaska in the US Senate has taken her to parts of the massive state’s interior that are inaccessible by road and on the frontlines of the cost-of-living crisis she hopes will make her the first Democrat to win the seat in nearly two decades.She has been to towns where paper towels retail for $40, a half gallon of oat milk goes for $21 and the cost of a new freezer can be quadruple what it is in the state’s largest city, Anchorage, simply because it’s so complicated to get there. Along the Arctic Ocean, she’s heard of communities where power bills have climbed to $1,500 a month because they rely on generators for power and the Iran war has pushed the cost of diesel to new heights. Continue reading...
