Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola has denied any knowledge of an alleged scheme that resulted in two men named Dan Sullivan running in the Alaska Senate race. The denial comes as the Trump administration escalates a criminal investigation into the matter, which includes requests to separate ballots ranking retired teacher Dan J Sullivan.
Investigation and Legal Actions
Incumbent Republican Senator Dan S Sullivan and his allies have accused Democrats of attempting to confuse voters in what analysts consider one of the tightest races in the US midterm elections. Speaking to voters, Peltola stated she wanted to clear the air and knew nothing about any other candidate on the ballot besides herself and the incumbent, adding that she has no interest in tricking voters.
Alaska’s Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered an official inquiry into the alleged scheme earlier in the week, though Michael Heyman, the US attorney for the district of Alaska, did not immediately provide details of specific crimes his office would investigate during a Friday press conference. Heyman confirmed that both civil and criminal investigations are currently ongoing, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) has begun issuing subpoenas targeting Democratic officials allegedly connected to the recruitment effort, as reported by CBS News.
Controversy erupted after a report by The New York Times alleged that Peltola’s campaign team and senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) worked to recruit Dan J Sullivan, a retired teacher living in a remote fishing village, to run in the race. The newspaper stated it reviewed text messages and interviewed 12 people involved in or told about the plan, though the BBC has not independently verified the reporting. Both the Peltola campaign and Dan J Sullivan have denied any links between them.
Ballot Segregation and Expert Views
Lawyers for the Trump administration asked a federal judge to direct state election officials to preserve and segregate all ballots ranking Dan J Sullivan before Monday. Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward argued in court documents that the measure would help investigate whether such rankings stemmed from voter confusion. Because of Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system, voters can select both Sullivans if they are unsure at the ballot box.
Scott Kendall, an attorney who worked on campaigns for Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, told the BBC he was sceptical that the actions described in the press broke the law, noting that Alaska law lacks specific good-faith requirements for candidates and that spoiler candidates occasionally emerge. Kendall and other legal experts stated that a federal crime could come into play if there was potential evidence of campaign finance violations, but such evidence has not yet emerged. Kendall added that the primary risk to Peltola from the allegations is reputational harm.
The Trump administration previously filed a federal lawsuit to prevent certifying the result if the Trump-backed Sullivan loses, arguing ballot presence could confuse voters, and the DOJ later amended the lawsuit to include the recent media reporting and the governor’s investigation announcement. A federal judge has expedited consideration to weigh motions to dismiss brought by Alaska election officials and backed by the Peltola campaign and voting rights groups, as voters across the US prepare to head to the polls.
