Alaska Governor Orders Probe into Alleged Democratic Senate Scheme
Alaska's Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy has directed the state's Department of Public Safety to investigate an alleged scheme involving the entry of a second candidate named Dan Sullivan into the state's US Senate race. The move follows reporting by the New York Times alleging that individuals associated with Democratic candidate Mary Peltola's campaign worked to recruit spoiler candidates in the contest.
Posting on social media platform X, Dunleavy stated that he was ordering authorities to examine whether the activities violated state laws, adding that the evidence gathered will determine whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted. The governor did not specify which state statutes may have been breached, but noted that the newspaper report supported earlier findings by the state Division of Elections.
Allegations and Campaign Denials
The report published by the New York Times alleged that individuals connected to Peltola's campaign and senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) attempted to recruit Dan J. Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher living in a remote fishing village, to stand in the election. The effort was reportedly intended to dilute support for incumbent Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan. The newspaper cited text messages and interviews with 12 individuals who participated in, were informed of, or were targeted by the recruitment effort.
The Peltola campaign has strongly denied any involvement in the entry of the second candidate. "The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign," the campaign said in a statement, emphasizing that it did not encourage the retired teacher to run. Dan J. Sullivan has similarly denied having any links to Peltola's campaign, while DSCC spokesperson Monica Robinson confirmed that the committee is not involved with Dan J. Sullivan.
Legal Challenges and Political Reaction
Incumbent Senator Dan S. Sullivan and Republican allies have accused Democrats of attempting to confuse voters. The ballot for the upcoming election lists the incumbent as Dan S. Sullivan and the second candidate as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. Fellow Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski accused the Democratic campaign of a "pattern of lies," while President Donald Trump called for Peltola to be removed from the ballot.
Previous Republican legal efforts to remove the non-incumbent Sullivan from the ballot were rejected by the Alaska Supreme Court, which ruled that no state laws were broken by his candidacy. Additionally, the Trump administration filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block certification of the election if the incumbent loses, arguing that the presence of two similar names could confuse voters. Alaska election officials have petitioned the federal court to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing it lacks a legal basis.
Expert Assessment and Context
Election law experts expressed skepticism regarding the likelihood of legal action altering the ballot or proving criminal conduct. Justin Levitt, an election law expert at Loyola Law School, noted that encouraging someone to run for public office is not illegal, even if they share a name with an incumbent. Harvard Law School election expert Ruth Greenwood added that the non-incumbent candidate possesses a constitutional right to run for office.
Alaska utilizes a ranked-choice voting system, which allows voters to select multiple choices if they are uncertain. Meanwhile, Peltola briefly paused her campaign activities earlier in the week to recover after she and her family sustained minor injuries in a car crash.
