Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has ordered the state Department of Public Safety to investigate whether a coordinated effort to recruit a candidate named Dan Sullivan to the ballot violated state election laws. The directive follows a report by The New York Times detailing how Democratic operatives allegedly sought to split the Republican vote in the U.S. Senate race between incumbent Dan Sullivan and challenger Mary Peltola. The investigation will determine if civil or criminal charges are warranted based on evidence that the operation was designed to confuse voters.
The controversy centers on the recruitment of Dan J. Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher with no prior political profile, who entered the race alongside the incumbent. According to the Times report, national Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) operatives and Peltola campaign aides identified registered voters named "Dan Sullivan" and approached them to run, aiming to siphon votes from the Republican incumbent in Alaska’s open primary and general election system. The Department of Justice, at the direction of President Donald Trump, has also filed a federal lawsuit to potentially halt the certification of the election if the spoiler candidate impacts the final tally.
What the Right Is Saying
Governor Dunleavy described the reported activities as "disturbing new evidence of an organized effort to manipulate Alaska’s elections." In a statement, he argued that recruiting candidates with identical names to incumbents constitutes a deliberate attempt to "misdirect" voters. "Alaskans have a fundamental right to vote for the candidate they actually intend to support," Dunleavy stated. "Deliberately tricking voters into casting their ballots for someone else strikes at the integrity of our elections."
President Donald Trump echoed these concerns, labeling the operation "voter fraud at the highest level." Speaking at a rally in Ohio, Trump called for the removal of both Mary Peltola and the second Dan Sullivan from the ballot. "The Democrat candidate who was involved in the scheme, Mary Peltola … she should be removed from the ballot and prosecuted. So should the fake Dan Sullivan," Trump said.
What the Left Is Saying
Mary Peltola dismissed the allegations as a media distraction unrelated to the core issues facing Alaskans. "This is just another distraction. It’s another diversion," Peltola said, characterizing the scrutiny as content designed to "sell newspapers" and "get subscriptions." She argued that voters are primarily concerned with economic conditions rather than internal campaign strategies.
The Peltola campaign and the DSCC have consistently denied direct involvement in the recruitment of the second Dan Sullivan. When pressed on the specific evidence reported by The New York Times, including internal communications, campaign officials reiterated their denials but did not provide detailed responses to specific questions regarding the operatives' actions. The campaign maintains that the entry of other candidates is a normal feature of Alaska’s open ballot system.
What the Numbers Show
The investigation hinges on the mechanics of Alaska’s election system, which utilizes an open primary where the top four vote-getters advance to the general election. The reported strategy involved identifying registered voters named "Dan Sullivan" to find potential candidates who could fracture the Republican vote. The New York Times report cites internal texts from fired Peltola campaign manager Elisa Rios, who provided receipts allegedly showing operatives plotting the maneuver and mocking voters. The DOJ’s federal lawsuit seeks to halt certification, citing the potential for the spoiler candidate to alter the outcome in a race where margins are expected to be narrow.
The Bottom Line
The outcome of the Department of Public Safety’s investigation could determine whether Alaska’s Senate race proceeds with current results or faces legal challenges regarding its validity. Governor Dunleavy’s order empowers state law enforcement to pursue criminal or civil actions if they find that the recruitment efforts violated state statutes. Simultaneously, the federal lawsuit filed by the DOJ adds a layer of complexity, as it seeks to intervene before the election results are certified. The situation remains developing, with both campaigns and state officials awaiting the findings of the ongoing inquiries.