Mary Peltola says she had no idea her own campaign allegedly helped recruit a second “Dan Sullivan” to confuse voters and steal votes from Alaska’s Republican senator, even as a bombshell New York Times report claims her team was deeply involved.
Quick Take
- The New York Times reported that people tied to Mary Peltola’s campaign and national Democratic aides tried to recruit Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. to run as a spoiler.
- Peltola’s campaign flatly denies any involvement, calling the mix-up “clear as day” to Alaska voters.
- Alaska’s Supreme Court already ruled the second Sullivan can stay on the ballot, but sent the case back to sort out how.
- Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered a state investigation, and the Trump Justice Department sued to block certification if the Republican loses.
- Attorney General Todd Blanche says Alaska’s own election chief believes the scheme was designed purely to confuse voters.
A Bombshell Report Names Peltola’s Team
The New York Times reported that operatives connected to Mary Peltola’s Senate campaign, along with senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, worked to recruit Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired schoolteacher, to run against Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. The paper said it reviewed text messages and talked to twelve people who took part in or heard about the plan.
Longtime Peltola aide Elisa Rios reportedly told the Times that a Democratic operative from outside Alaska searched for people named Dan Sullivan who could challenge the senator. The goal, according to the report, was simple: split the Republican vote by putting a second man with the exact same name on the ballot.
Peltola’s Campaign Issues Flat Denial
Peltola’s campaign has pushed back hard, denying any role in recruiting the second Sullivan or trying to trick voters. The campaign “continues to deny any involvement” in Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.’s run, and Peltola has argued the two candidates’ ballot listings make confusion unlikely among Alaska voters she knows.
That denial runs straight into the Times report’s twelve sources, text messages, and documents. Conservatives watching this race see a familiar pattern: a Democrat claiming total ignorance while her own staff allegedly worked the phones to rig the outcome in her favor.
Courts Already Cleared the Second Sullivan for the Ballot
This fight didn’t start with the Times story. Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. first sued after Alaska’s Division of Elections tried to keep him off the ballot. The state Supreme Court sided with him in June, affirming a lower court ruling that he must be included as a candidate for the August primary.
Justices sent the case back to election officials to figure out how to list him without misleading voters, not whether he belonged on the ballot at all. That legal outcome settled eligibility. It never touched the separate question of whether Peltola’s team orchestrated his run in the first place.
Trump’s Justice Department Steps In
The Trump administration isn’t waiting around. The Justice Department sued Alaska, seeking to block certification of the Senate race if the Republican incumbent loses, arguing confused voters may have cast ballots meant for Senator Sullivan instead of his namesake. Alaska officials have moved to dismiss the suit, insisting the new reporting changes nothing about their opposition.
Attorney General Todd Blanche went public with the administration’s concerns on national television. He said Alaska’s own election commission chief has stated the second Sullivan is running “solely to confuse voters, solely to pull votes away from the incumbent senator”.
New York Times reported that in summer 2025 a Peltola campaign staffer was ordered to comb Alaska voter records for every “Dan Sullivan.”
The goal: recruit a namesake to dilute votes for incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan (R) on the state’s top-four ranked-choice ballot and boost…
— Keith Ainsworth (@AinsworthKeith) October 30, 2026
Alaska Governor Orders Criminal Investigation
Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered Alaska’s Department of Public Safety to investigate whether the recruitment scheme broke state law, warning that criminal charges or civil action could follow. The Justice Department reportedly expanded its own criminal probe, issuing fresh subpoenas after the Times story broke.
Legal experts note Alaska law allows election officials to add clarifying details to ballots when candidate names are too similar, a remedy courts in other states have used instead of outright bans. But that fix addresses voter confusion, not an alleged scheme by Peltola’s team to manufacture it.
Voters deserve straight answers, not convenient memory lapses from a campaign accused of gaming the ballot. With investigators, courts, and the Justice Department all circling, Alaskans will likely learn the truth before Election Day arrives.
Sources:
cbsnews.com, courthousenews.com, alaskapublic.org, ksbw.com, aclu.org, courtlistener.com, edition.cnn.com
