Alaska Senate Candidate Mary Peltola Postpones Campaign Events After Car Crash

Mary Peltola, the Democrat running for Alaska's lone US Senate seat, and her family were hurt in a car crash on Saturday while traveling to a campaign appearance, her campaign said. The injuries were described as minor.

According to a campaign statement released on Sunday, the family was headed to the annual banquet of the Alaska Federation of Natives when another vehicle struck the one carrying them. Peltola needed medical attention after the collision.

Campaign manager Cheryl Bruce said in the statement that Peltola and her family "sustained minor injuries but are in good spirits." Bruce said medical professionals had advised Peltola to rest, so her scheduled events in Fairbanks and Bethel will be moved to later in the week while she recovers.

Bruce added that Peltola is disappointed the accident has pushed back the start of what the campaign calls the "Alaska Always tour," and is eager to return to the trail. The campaign said she wants to speak directly with Alaskans about her plan to take on the "rigged system" and lower costs for working families.

The Anchorage police department said officers responded to a multi-vehicle collision at about 6.55pm on Saturday. Peltola's family and the occupant of a second vehicle were taken to a local hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, police said. The occupant of a third vehicle declined medical transport. Police said the circumstances of the crash remain under investigation.

Peltola, an Alaska Native and former congresswoman, is challenging Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. If she wins, she would become the first Democrat in nearly two decades to represent Alaska in the Senate. Both candidates have courted Alaska Native voters, a key constituency in a race that has become one of the most closely watched in the country.

The crash came shortly after another development in the contest. On Friday, Donald Trump ordered the justice department to block certification of the Alaska Senate election if Sullivan loses. The lawsuit points to possible confusion with another Republican candidate, a retired schoolteacher who appears on the ranked-choice ballot as Daniel J Sullivan Jr.

The delayed tour had been announced as an eight-stop push through the final week before election day. Her campaign said Peltola will resume public events on Tuesday with a stop in Homer, Alaska.