Alaska Democrats Recruited Rival Sullivan

Democratic Senate nominee Mary Peltola’s campaign aides and senior officials at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee worked to recruit Daniel J. Sullivan for the Alaska Senate race. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that these groups coordinated to place a second candidate with the same surname on the ballot. The goal was to draw votes away from incumbent Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan. Peltola’s former campaign manager Elisa Rios told the newspaper that Peltola was not directly involved in the project. However, Rios said the nominee was definitely aware of the effort to bring in a spoiler candidate. The Peltola campaign and the DSCC denied participating in these recruitment efforts. They stated they were not involved with Daniel J. Sullivan’s bid for the seat.

The recruitment effort was part of a larger strategy to dilute support for the incumbent. The Times noted that the group worked to coax other would-be spoilers into the race. This tactic aims to help catapult the Democrat to victory in a contested state. Rios, who was fired in August, initially said Alaskan voters needed to know about the effort. She argued that voters should get the full picture when making their decisions. Last week, Rios attempted to retract those comments. She wrote to the newspaper that she had retracted all statements made regarding the 2026 Alaska Senate race. The newspaper maintained that her interviews were consistent with other reporting and that she would be part of the article.

The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit days before the Times report. The suit alleges that Daniel J. Sullivan’s campaign was geared toward acting as a spoiler. The DOJ asked a federal judge in Alaska to block certification of any Senate race result. They want to pause the process until an investigation determines how many votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan were meant for the incumbent. President Donald Trump ordered the DOJ lawsuit and later demanded both Sullivans be removed from the ballot. He claimed Democrats illegally sought out the same-named man to confuse voters and defraud the election. The winner of this election could determine whether Democrats regain a Senate majority or if Republicans retain their current control.

Judge Sharon Gleason fast-tracked the case on Monday evening. This move increases the chance she will decide whether to dismiss the suit before Election Day on November 3. Peltola’s campaign, the DSCC, and Alaska election officials have asked the judge to dismiss the case. The League of Women Voters of Alaska and Common Cause also sought to intervene to oppose the DOJ efforts. Alaska officials argued the DOJ lacks authority to intervene in state elections. They stated the lawsuit casts a cloud over the state's election process. The state's Division of Elections said it took steps to distinguish between the two Sullivans on the ballot. Daniel J. Sullivan is listed as Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr., while the incumbent is listed as Sullivan, Dan. S. with incumbent noted.

Alaska uses ranked-choice voting, which allows voters to rank candidates by preference. This method could allow voters to rank both Sullivans as choices. If the non-incumbent is eliminated in the first round of counting, a vote for him could transfer to the incumbent senator. Daniel J. Sullivan won a legal fight to stay on the nonpartisan primary ballot. The Alaska Supreme Court allowed him on the ballot over opposition from state election officials. He won enough votes in that contest to secure a spot on the general election ballot. Peltola, a former U.S. House member, is the only Democrat on the ballot. The DSCC spokesperson noted that Republicans have a long history of recruiting third-party candidates to boost their own campaigns. They cited examples of Republicans recruiting a prisoner and an Arizona resident in this cycle.