A U.S. Senate race in Alaska is turning into one of the most expensive in the state’s history as a Democrat tries to flip a seat held by two-term incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan.

The fundraising bonanza comes as the odds of Democrats taking control of the Senate in this year’s midterm elections appear to be improving, according to political analysts.

Democrat Mary Peltola, who held Alaska’s sole House seat from 2022 to 2025, raised almost $9 million in the first quarter of 2026, Politico reported. It’s the largest first-quarter stockpile in Alaska political history, according to her campaign. 

“I’m so grateful for the support we’ve received from every single borough and census area across our state, and it’s that support that will bring us to victory this November,” Peltola said. 

GOP incumbent also has millions

Sullivan, who’s seeking a third term, brought in $2.1 million in the first quarter and has $7.5 million of cash on hand, Politico reported.

“This historic support sends a clear message: Alaskans know that Dan delivers,” Sullivan campaign spokesperson Nate Adams said in a statement.

In 2020, Democrat Al Gross outspent Sullivan but still lost by 13 points.

Alaska is a heavily Republican state. President Donald Trump carried the state by 10 to 15 points in each of the last three elections. 

However, Democrats are optimistic about a recent poll from Alaska Survey Research. The survey showed Peltola with a positive rating of 48.5%, compared to Sullivan’s 40.7%.

Dozens of US Senate seats in play

Thirty-five U.S. Senate seats are up for grabs in November, with Republicans defending 22 and Democrats, 13. 

With the GOP holding a current majority of 53-47, Democrats need to flip four seats to take control of the upper chamber for the remaining two years of Trump’s second term.

The Cook Political Report reported Monday that “the Senate battlefield is shifting in Democrats’ favor.” However, securing the magic number of 51 is still a “tall order.” 

Cook rates the Peltola-Sullivan race as “leans Republican.” Eighteen other races are currently rated as either “likely Republican” or “solid Republican.” 

The nonpartisan newsletter shows three races in the “leans Democrat” category. One other is “likely Democrat,” and nine are listed as “solid Democrat.” 

With Election Day more than six months away, three races — in Maine, Michigan and Ohio — are listed as toss-ups.

National Democrats see Peltola as a key to winning a majority in the Senate.

Politico said super PACs supporting Democrats have already spent more than $3 million in ad buys in Alaska, while the Republican’s Senate Leadership Fund has indicated it intends to spend $15 million on the race for Sullivan.

Hawaii travelers lost one airport perk that still felt useful when Priority Pass access ended at Honolulu’s Plumeria Lounge last year. Now Alaska has reopened Priority Pass access at its San Francisco lounge, but only with a $15 co-pay, a requirement to be flying Alaska, Hawaiian, or a partner airline, and a four-hour limit.

Priority Pass access to Plumeria ended on April 1, 2025, during the Hawaiian-Alaska integration into Atmos Rewards. BOH covered that change when Priority Pass cardholders lost access to Honolulu’s Plumeria Lounge. Travelers using cards like AmEx Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve lost access to the better Honolulu lounge tied to those memberships, and when Priority Pass later returned at HNL, it was through a different lounge.

Hawaii travelers lost the best lounge.

When Plumeria dropped out of Priority Pass, cardholders lost a lounge with some real value at Honolulu. It offered a quieter place to sit upstairs, a better break from the terminal, and a more useful airport benefit than many card-linked options in Hawaii. Once that access ended, the lounge became less crowded for the smaller group still allowed in because other travelers had been shut out.

Our own Plumeria lounge review after the change showed exactly that. The room felt calmer and less packed, not because the lounge improved, but because fewer travelers were allowed through the door after Priority Pass access ended.

San Francisco is important to Hawaii travelers because it is one of the main gateways for Hawaii flights and a common connection point. Many Hawaii itineraries already run through SFO, which makes a $15 co-pay there directly relevant to Hawaii travel.

Alaska reopened Priority Pass at SFO, but now there’s a fee.

Travelers with a qualifying card and Priority Pass membership can still use Alaska’s SFO lounge, but now they must also pay $15, fly Alaska, Hawaiian, or a partner airline, and enter the lounge within four hours of departure. The lounge still participates in Priority Pass, but the value of that participation changes once travelers pay extra at the door.

The card issuer can still advertise lounge access, and the airline can still say the lounge is in the network, but the traveler who already pays a high annual fee now has to decide whether the benefit is worth paying for again.

This is showing up elsewhere, too.

The SFO move is not standing alone in such changes. The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at LAX returned to Priority Pass with a $35 co-pay. The airports and lounges are different, but the result is still familiar. The benefit remains in the network, but travelers pay extra to use it.

People keep cards like the AmEx Platinum and the Chase Sapphire Reserve in part because lounge access helps justify their high annual fees. When that access weakens or is only partially paid on arrival, the value declines while the annual fee remains unchanged.

Honolulu got Priority Pass back, but only at the Premier Club.

Priority Pass did return to Honolulu, but not through Plumeria. It came back through the Premier Club in Terminal 1. So Hawaii did get lounge access back in a technical sense, but travelers did not have the old benefit restored; instead, they got a lower-tier substitute in a different room.

BOH already covered the massive Hawaiian-Alaska lounge upgrade planned for Honolulu, including the new Mauka Concourse lounge expected by late 2027. That future space is supposed to serve both airlines and be about five times larger than Plumeria, which makes the current HNL setup look transitional. But for travelers flying now, they are still dealing with the downgraded version instead of the larger shared lounge being promised for later.

Hawaii travelers have a reason to ask where this is headed.

SFO may be a one-off situation, and Honolulu may keep its current setup for now. But Hawaii travelers have already watched this benefit get reduced once. First, Plumeria disappeared from Priority Pass. Then, Premier Club became the replacement. Now, Alaska has shown at SFO that access can return with a fee attached. So this is a work in process.

Lead Photo of Plumeria Lounge at HNL. All photos © Beat of Hawaii.

Alaska Airlines – a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub – and Hawaiian Airlines have launched a single, unified Alaska Hawaiian mobile app. Built to support travel across both airlines, the new app brings everything travellers need into one streamlined experience – from booking and check-in to day-of travel updates – with improved performance and expanded features, particularly for legacy Hawaiian Airlines app users. This app redesign also represents an important step in bringing the two airlines closer together, while preserving their distinct identities and experiences.

The new Alaska Hawaiian app is designed around one goal: making travel easier. Instead of switching between apps or navigating different experiences, travellers will be able to manage their entire journey in one place – whether flying Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines or connecting across both.

As part of the transition to one mobile platform, the current Alaska Airlines app will update automatically for most travellers, while the legacy Hawaiian Airlines app will remain available through 21 April 2026.

While the platform is unified, the experience is still personal. Travellers can choose between an Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines-themed experience, aligning the look and feel with the airline they fly most.

“Guests get a single, seamless app experience – while still seeing the airline they know and trust – making it easier to book, manage and travel with confidence,” said Natalie Bowman, Vice President of Digital Experience, Alaska Airlines.

The unified app is a key milestone in Alaska and Hawaiian’s ongoing investments to deliver a seamless experience across their combined global network. Today, travellers benefit from shared lobby spaces, reduced lobby lines with modern bag-tag stations and a comprehensive loyalty programme.

The aim by bringing both airlines into one app and the same passenger service system on 22 April is that travellers will enjoy simplified trip management and self-service features across Alaska and Hawaiian, and consistent performance improvements to technology.

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