She is the first Alaska Native member of Congress, the first woman to represent Alaska in the House, the first representative from Alaska to have been born in the state, and the first Democrat to represent the state in the House since 1972, when Nick Begich disappeared during a campaign flight and was later declared dead. Peltola is only the third Democrat to represent Alaska in the House since statehood, and the first Democrat to represent her state in either chamber of Congress since Mark Begich left office in 2015. She is seeking election to a full term in the 2022 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska.