Did Democrats Recruit a Second Dan Sullivan to Confuse Voters in Alaska?
A New York Times report claims Democratic operatives recruited a challenger named Dan Sullivan to split the Republican vote, days before the election.
By Layla Petrov ·
Alaska’s U.S. Senate race has been thrown into turmoil by an allegation that the losing candidate may have been placed on the ballot with the help of the opposing party. The incident centers on two candidates who share the name Dan Sullivan. One is the Republican incumbent. The other is a challenger who advanced from the primary. A New York Times report detailed communications suggesting Democratic campaign officials helped recruit the non-incumbent Sullivan.
The report was based on interviews with attorneys and advisers for Democrat Mary Peltola, the former congresswoman challenging the seat. It also cited senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. These aides allegedly worked to put the second Sullivan on the ballot to confuse voters and siphon support from the incumbent. This tactic is known as a spoiler strategy.
Both the Peltola campaign and the DSCC denied involvement after the story broke. Peltola called the reporting a distraction while campaigning Wednesday. The non-incumbent Sullivan did not respond to requests for comment from Alaska Public Media. He previously stated that running for Senate was his own decision.
Republican officials moved quickly to capitalize on the news. Nate Adams, a spokesperson for Sen. Sullivan, accused the Peltola campaign of gaslighting voters. President Trump described the situation as Voter Fraud at the Highest Level in an online post. The President’s Justice Department had already asked a court to delay certification if Sullivan lost by a small margin. That legal effort cited potential voter confusion caused by the duplicate name on the ballot.
Election law experts had previously criticized the Justice Department’s case as weak. They noted that the Constitution grants states primary control over elections. However, Justice Department officials said the new reporting expands their options. They filed an amended complaint on Thursday citing the New York Times story.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy directed the state’s Department of Public Safety to investigate the matter on Wednesday night. He asked whether the scheme violated Alaska laws and if criminal or civil action is warranted. It is currently unclear which specific laws may have been broken. The Alaska Supreme Court had ruled in June that the non-incumbent Sullivan could appear on the general election ballot after probing the candidacies.
Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, noted that such tricks are common in politics. She said the internet makes it easier for both the trick and the correction to spread. Some Alaska residents compared the situation to Republican spending on a federal prisoner running for U.S. House in New York.
The ballot notes which Sullivan is the Republican incumbent. Some experts argue the current news cycle may reduce voter confusion. Alaska uses ranked-choice voting for the general election. Voters can rank both Sullivans without ranking Peltola. A separate question on the ballot asks voters if they want to keep this unique election system.
