Rep. Mary Peltola’s (D-Alaska) husband has died in a plane accident in Alaska, her chief of staff announced Wednesday.
“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,” Peltola’s chief of staff Anton McParland said in a statement shared to the congresswoman’s account on X, the platform previously known as Twitter.
Peltola is returning home to be with family, McParland said, and her team will meet with constituents and “carry on the work of the office while Mary and her family grieve.”
Eugene Peltola was the former regional director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs for Alaska.
Several of Peltola’s fellow lawmakers had already shared their condolences minutes after the statement was posted.
“I am so terribly sorry, @Rep_Peltola. Our hearts are with you and your family today,” Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said.
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