Mary Peltola, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Alaska, and members of her family sustained minor injuries in a car crash on Saturday, according to her campaign.
The campaign said another vehicle collided with the one carrying Peltola and her family. They were traveling to the Alaska Federation of Natives Annual Banquet when the crash occurred. Peltola needed medical attention afterward.
Campaign manager Cheryl Bruce said in a statement that the candidate was in "good spirits" following the accident. Her medical providers, however, advised her to reschedule events planned for Sunday and Monday so she can recover.
The crash disrupted what the campaign has billed as the "Alaska Always Tour," an eight-stop push through the final week before Election Day. The campaign said Peltola will return to the trail on Tuesday with a stop in Homer, Alaska.
Peltola is an Alaska Native and a former congresswoman. She is challenging Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and hopes to become the first Democrat in nearly two decades to represent the state in the Senate. Both candidates have worked to win over Alaska Native voters, a key constituency in a closely watched race that has drawn national attention.
The accident comes amid fresh controversy over how the contest could be certified. On Friday, President Donald Trump, who held a rally in support of Sullivan earlier this month, said he had told his administration to sue to block certification of the race if the incumbent loses. The lawsuit points to potential confusion with another candidate who appears on the ranked choice ballot as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.
