The husband of Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, died in a plane crash on Wednesday, her office has announced.
Peltola’s office did not offer any details regarding the incident, saying only that Eugene died following an “accident.”
“We are devastated to share that Mary’s husband, Eugene Peltola Jr.–‘Buzzy’ to all of us who knew and loved him–passed away earlier this morning following a plane accident in Alaska,” her office wrote in a statement.
“He was one of those people that was obnoxiously good at everything. He had a delightful sense of humor that lightened the darkest moments,” the statement continued. “He was definitely the cook in the family. And family was most important to him. He was completely devoted to his parents, kids, siblings, extended family, and friends – and he simply adored Mary. We are heartbroken for the family’s loss.”
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The statement went on to say that Peltola is returning to her home in Alaska, and they asked that the public respect her and her family’s privacy.
“Our team will continue to meet with constituents and carry on the work of the office Mary and her family grieve,” Chief of Staff Anton McParland said in a statement.
Peltola first entered Congress by winning a special election in August 2022 to replace retiring GOP Rep. Don Young. She then won again in the general election in November 2022, defeating former Gov. Sarah Palin and other challengers.
Peltola first made headlines in January of this year, poking fun at Republicans for their infighting over Kevin McCarthy’s bid for Speaker of the House.
“I’m never getting sworn in am I?” Peltola wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
When Peltola was first sworn in after her special election win, it was her husband Eugene who held the Bible she rested her hand on.
This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.