American politician (born 1973) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mary Sattler Peltola (Yup'ik: Akalleq; born August 31, 1973) is an American Democratic politician. Peltola is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alaska's at-large congressional district since 2022. She is the first woman to represent Alaska in the U.S. House and the first Alaska Native in congress.[1]
Mary Peltola | |
---|---|
Akalleq | |
Co-Chair of the Blue Dog Coalition | |
Assumed office May 24, 2023 | |
Preceded by | Jim Costa |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alaska's at-large district | |
Assumed office September 13, 2022 | |
Preceded by | Don Young |
Member of the Alaska House of Representatives | |
In office January 19, 1999 – January 19, 2009 | |
Preceded by | Ivan Ivan |
Succeeded by | Bob Herron |
Constituency |
|
Personal details | |
Born | Mary Sattler August 31, 1973 Anchorage, Alaska, U.S. |
Citizenship | United States Orutsararmiut Native Council |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Jonathan Kapsner (divorced)Joe Nelson (divorced)Buzzy Peltola (died 2023) |
Children | 7 (3 stepchildren) |
Website | House website |
Peltola is Yup'ik from Western Alaska. She was born in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 31, 1973.[2] Her Yup'ik name is Akalleq (transl. the one who rolled).[3][4]
Before, she was a member of the Alaska House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009.
Peltola was a candidate for the United States House of Representatives for Alaska's at-large congressional district in the 2022 special election to fill in the vacancy of Don Young and in the November 2022 general election.[5][6] She won the election on August 31, 2022, defeating former Governor Sarah Palin.[1]
Peltola is the first Alaska Native member of Congress and the only Russian Orthodox member of Congress.[7]
She has four biological children and three stepchildren.[8]
Her third husband, Eugene "Buzzy" Peltola Jr., was Alaska director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.[9][10] He died in September 2023 after being in a plane crash.[11][12]
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