The bizarre twist shaking up Alaska's Senate race and catching Trump's ire
Summary
Alaska’s Senate race has drawn new scrutiny after a New York Times report said Democratic operatives with ties to Mary Peltola’s campaign helped recruit a second candidate named Dan Sullivan. Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee denied recruiting him, and the report did not establish that any laws were broken. President Trump called for prosecutions, while state and House officials announced investigations and the Justice Department’s lawsuit over the race remains in court.Key Facts
- The ballot lists Republican incumbent Dan S. Sullivan and unaffiliated candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., along with Mary Peltola and Republican Gerald Heikes.
- Daniel J. Sullivan initially filed as a Republican and later changed his registration to undeclared.
- An Alaska election official ruled in June that Daniel J. Sullivan could not run in the primary, citing concerns that his candidacy could confuse voters.
- The Alaska Supreme Court ruled that election officials lacked authority to disqualify him based on concerns about his motives; it did not decide whether he intended to mislead voters.
- A New York Times report cited texts, interviews and documents that it said showed Peltola-linked aides worked with Democratic operatives to recruit candidates who could draw votes from the incumbent.
- Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee denied recruiting Daniel J. Sullivan.
- The Justice Department sued Alaska, seeking to block certification of the Senate election if the incumbent loses by a margin potentially attributable to voter confusion between the candidates.
- Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a state investigation on Oct. 28, and House Oversight Chair James Comer launched a congressional probe on Oct. 29.
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