Aides connected to Alaska Democratic Senate nominee Mary Peltola and officials with the national party helped recruit a candidate who shares a name with incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, according to a report published Wednesday by The New York Times.
The newspaper reported that members of Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee sought out Alaskans named Dan Sullivan to enter next week’s general election. The reported objective was to peel conservative ballots away from the two-term incumbent, Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, in an election that could determine party control of the U.S. Senate.
The second candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., is a retired public school teacher living in southeastern Alaska who has little political background. Both men advanced from the August nonpartisan primary to the four-person general election ballot, where ranked-choice voting will decide the outcome on Nov. 3. To minimize voter confusion, state election officials opted to list the incumbent as “Sullivan, Dan S. (Registered Republican) Incumbent” and the newcomer as “Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.”
Campaign Denials and Trump’s Reaction
Peltola’s campaign and the DSCC strongly rejected the allegations. “The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign,” a campaign spokesperson told news outlets, adding that their team remains focused on “lowering costs and fixing the rigged system in DC.” A spokesperson for the DSCC likewise stated that the committee “is not involved with Dan J. Sullivan” and maintained that Republicans have frequently backed third-party contenders to manipulate races across the country.
According to the Times, Peltola’s former campaign manager Elisa Rios said the nominee was not personally directing the effort but was “definitely aware.” Rios, who left the campaign in August, subsequently attempted to retract her comments to the newspaper. In response to the report, Sullivan campaign spokesperson Nate Adams asserted that “Alaskans deserve the truth” and accused Peltola’s operation of working to deceive the public.
Former President Donald Trump denounced the reported gambit on Truth Social, describing the candidate recruitment as “election fraud” and calling for Peltola and the second Sullivan to be removed from the ballot. Trump previously acknowledged ordering the Justice Department to take legal action regarding the contest.
Federal Lawsuit and Election Day Approaching
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit asking a federal court to halt certification of the Senate results if the incumbent loses, citing potential voter error caused by the matching names. The department asked the court to delay formal results while officials examine whether ballots marked for Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. were actually intended for the sitting senator.
State election officials and voting rights organizations, including the League of Women Voters of Alaska and Common Cause, have urged U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason to throw out the federal government’s complaint. State attorneys argued that the Justice Department lacks legal standing to disrupt Alaska’s election procedures. Gleason fast-tracked the litigation earlier this week, increasing the likelihood of a ruling in Anchorage prior to the vote, while state courts have previously ruled that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. is legally qualified to appear on the ballot.
