Peltola Aides Helped Recruit Second Dan Sullivan for Alaska Senate Ballot, Times Reports
People working with Democrat Mary Peltola’s Senate campaign and senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee helped recruit a man named Daniel J. Sullivan to run against Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
Citing interviews, text messages and documents prepared for a possible lawsuit, the Times said the push was “much broader” than one candidate, according to CNBC. The group also worked to coax other would-be spoilers into the race to dilute the incumbent’s support.
Elisa Rios, Peltola’s former campaign manager, told the Times that Peltola was not directly involved but was “definitely aware.” Rios, who the paper said was fired in August, later tried to retract her statements and refused to be a source.
The Times said it told Rios she would be part of the story and that her interviews “were consistent with The Times’s other reporting.” Before backing away, Rios said, “Alaskan voters need to know.”
Both organizations deny it. “The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign,” Peltola’s campaign said. A DSCC spokesperson said, “The DSCC is not involved with Dan J. Sullivan,” and accused Republicans of propping up spoiler candidates of their own.
The second Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, is listed as “Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.” with no party label, the Associated Press reported. He earlier said he’d had “zero, none, zilch” contact with Peltola’s campaign.
Trump Demands Both Be Removed
President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that Democrats “illegally” sought out the same-named man “in order to defraud, confuse, and obfuscate the Election, thereby taking votes away from the REAL Senator, Dan Sullivan.” He called for Peltola and Daniel J. Sullivan to be pulled from the ballot.
Trump also said Peltola “should suffer the Legal and Political consequences for what she has done.” He has said he ordered a Justice Department lawsuit filed last week over the race.
That suit asks a federal judge to block certification of any result “impacted by voter confusion” while officials investigate whether votes for Daniel J. Sullivan were meant for the senator. State officials, the Peltola campaign and the DSCC want it dismissed before the Nov. 3 election.
U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason fast-tracked the case Monday, raising the odds she rules before Election Day. Alaska officials argued the department “lacks authority to intervene in state elections at all, much less in support of a favored candidate.”
State election officials had tried to keep the Petersburg man off the primary ballot, ruling his filing was meant “to confuse or mislead,” but the Alaska Supreme Court reinstated him. He then advanced as one of four general election candidates, the Los Angeles Times reported.
On the ballot, the senator appears directly below him as “Sullivan, Dan S.” with “Registered Republican, incumbent” beside his name. Peltola, a former congresswoman, is the only Democrat in the ranked-choice race.
“Alaskans deserve the truth,” said Nate Adams, a spokesman for Sen. Sullivan’s campaign. Nothing reported so far shows money going to the Petersburg candidate, whose campaign had $1,901, Alaska journalist Dermot Cole noted.
The Times noted that ballot-stacking is common and generally considered legal, and that both parties have used it in Alaska. Notre Dame law professor Derek Muller called it “a dirty campaign trick,” adding, “But now it’s in the hands of the voters, not litigation.”
The race could decide control of the Senate. More than 46,000 Alaska ballots had already been cast as of Monday.
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