Democratic debate 'cue cards' steal spotlight in high-profile Senate clash

Mary Peltola's blatant use of cue cards during an Alaska Senate debate with Dan Sullivan sparked a wave of GOP jeers and on-stage back-and-forth.

Mary Peltola was investigated following allegations of staffing in the Alaska Senate election

Midterm battles intensify as a political panel debates the competitive Alaska Senate race and energy affordability. Democratic Strategist Melissa Droza and CRC Advisors Senior Vice President Matt Whitlock discuss the allegations against Mary Pletola as she challenges incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan.

Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola faced mockery from Republican critics Thursday night after she used note cards in a debate with Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan — including a jab at her incumbent.

Sullivan is in an unusually close race with Peltola, a former congressman, complicated by another candidate with his name but different initials, as Republicans fight to hold on to their slim majority in the Senate.

"Really, Mary? Reading from a script? You can't figure your way through the Senate," Sullivan wrote in X after Pletola had a card-sized piece of paper with bullet points that she looked at for a few seconds while answering earlier questions.

Despite the intervention of the far left, the Republican senator, the representative of the House of Representatives emerged from the "primitive forest" of Alaska

The criticism quickly became a sticking point in the nightly exchanges of the candidates' debates, with Republican commentators taking advantage of Pletola's apparent use of prepared notes.

"Mary, if you're feeling well, blink twice. It seems you can't spell a sentence without reading it," NRSC official Joanna Rodriguez posted on X.

Another social media user took aim at Peltola's apparent reliance on notes even when discussing personal details.

Adding a laughing emoji, the user wrote: "Mary Pletola can't read her name or being a grandmother without a cue card."

After Peltola once again apparently read from his card, Sullivan asked the observers a brief question.

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"We weren't supposed to be asking these questions in advance, were we?" He asked the presenters of the debate.

"No, sir," replied Alaska News Source reporter Will Courtney. "Absolutely not," added Lori Townsend, editor of Alaska Public Media.

"Good," said Sullivan. "I'm just watching my opponent."

Peltola defended himself, saying that "more prepared" is better.

The GOP's investigative arm responded to X, highlighting a clip of Pletola appearing to read from his card:

"Mary Pletola - who in her first term in Congress didn't introduce a single bill to help Alaska fishermen - needs to read a text when she talks about the Alaska fishing industry," the party tweeted.

The dispute also became personal when Sullivan confronted Peltola over allegations of mistreatment of former employees, citing a New York Times report that claimed 25 employees quit while working for him.

Peltola dismissed the allegations as "outright fabrications or gross exaggerations of the truth", arguing that the election should not be about his "worst day".

The heated exchange prompted observers to call for decorum and warn that the microphones might be turned off if the candidates continued to interrupt each other. Sullivan argued that the allegations reflected a pattern of behavior, while Pletola accused his opponent of exploiting the controversy for political gain.

The candidates also faced questions about the long-debated Alaska liquefied natural gas pipeline after observers reported that South Korea would not commit to investing in the project, despite Donald Trump's public touting of a possible deal.

Sullivan defended the administration's efforts, arguing that Seoul has committed to financing through a broader trade agreement, while acknowledging that the amount of specific investment is still being negotiated.

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Peltola also expressed support for the pipeline, but cautioned against raising expectations without firm commitments, saying Alaska should not "promote falsehoods that have no substance."

Both candidates stressed the economic potential of the project, although the exchange raised uncertainty about whether the promised foreign investment would materialize.

Peltola was already the first Democrat in decades to represent Alaska in the U.S. House of Representatives since the death of Rep. Dunn, a Republican. Young and his Senate bid again have potentially far-reaching implications at the state and national level.

The showdown comes as Republicans fight to defend their slim majority in the Senate, and Sullivan's seat emerges as a big opportunity for Democrats in a state that President Donald Trump carried in 2024. The Cook Political Report calls the race a close contest, making Alaska one of several battlegrounds that could determine which party controls the House in January.

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