US Senate candidate Mary Peltola has denied allegations that she used an anti-gay slur, after former staffers told The New York Times they heard her use offensive language during angry workplace outbursts.
The Alaska Democrat, who is challenging Republican Senator Dan Sullivan in November, is facing scrutiny after a Times investigation based on interviews with nine former employees.
Four former staffers reportedly said they personally heard Peltola use the slur “f*****” during the years they worked for her, including on occasions when referring to staff members.
Peltola’s campaign has denied that allegation.
The campaign has, however, acknowledged that she previously used an ableist slur and says she regrets doing so.
Campaign Disputes Staffers’ Account
Campaign spokesperson Harry Child said some of the behaviour described by former staff members occurred during an exceptionally difficult period in Peltola’s life.
Her husband, Eugene Peltola Jr, died in a plane crash in September 2023, and her mother also died around the same period.
“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.
He said Peltola sometimes struggled with that grief but rejected the suggestion that the incidents reflected a wider pattern in how she treated staff.
The campaign has described some of the allegations as exaggerated or false.
Other former aides quoted in the reporting defended Peltola, describing her as demanding but supportive.
Anti-Gay Slur Allegation Denied
The allegation concerning the anti-gay slur is particularly notable because of Peltola’s public record of supporting LGBTQ+ communities.
She has attended Alaska Pride events and served as a grand marshal at Anchorage Pride in 2025.
That record does not determine whether the former staffers’ claims are true or false, but it adds another dimension to the dispute.
The four former employees say they witnessed Peltola use the slur.
Her campaign says she did not.
No independent finding has established which account is correct.
Wider Allegations Involve Workplace Conduct
The Times report also detailed broader claims about Peltola’s management style, including angry outbursts, insulting language and an allegation that she once shoved an employee.
Her campaign has disputed the characterisation of those incidents.
Former staffer Paul Horner publicly defended Peltola, describing her as one of the finest people he had worked for.
Another former aide, Tyson Fick, described her as “awesome and demanding” and acknowledged that she could sometimes raise her voice.
The contrasting accounts leave voters with sharply different descriptions of her workplace behaviour.
Allegations Land During Senate Campaign
Peltola previously represented Alaska in the US House of Representatives after winning a special election in 2022, becoming the first Alaska Native elected to Congress.
She lost her House seat in 2024 and is now running for the US Senate.
She will face incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan and other candidates in Alaska’s ranked-choice general election on 3 November.
Sullivan has criticised the conduct alleged by the former staffers, calling the reports “sad” and “disturbing”.
The allegations arrive during an important Senate contest, with Democrats seeking a net gain of at least four seats to take control of the chamber.
For LGBTQ+ voters, however, the immediate issue is less about campaign strategy than accountability.
Using anti-gay language can cause harm regardless of who says it or what their wider political record may be.
At the same time, the allegation remains contested.
Four former staffers say they heard Peltola use the slur.
Peltola’s campaign says she never did.
