Dunleavy Orders State Probe Into Peltola Campaign Over Name Confusion
The governor launched the investigation after a New York Times report suggested Democratic operatives recruited a retired teacher to run under a similar name to incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan.
By Megan Greco ·
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered a state investigation into the Senate campaign of Democrat Mary Peltola on Wednesday. The move follows reports that her team sought to recruit another candidate with a name nearly identical to that of Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan to confuse voters.
The probe comes one day after President Donald Trump demanded that Peltola and her campaign be criminally prosecuted. The president had previously directed the Department of Justice to sue to block the certification of the election if Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. remained on the ballot.
Dunleavy posted the order on social media overnight. He wrote that a New York Times report revealed an organized effort to manipulate the election by recruiting candidates to misdirect votes. The governor stated that deliberately tricking voters strikes at the integrity of the election and supports earlier findings by the state elections board.
The New York Times reported that interviews, text messages, and legal documents showed Peltola’s team aimed to split Republican support for the sitting senator. The report indicated the campaign attempted to coax candidates into the race specifically to create confusion on the ballot.
Peltola, a former congresswoman, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, during a campaign stop in Soldotna, she called the Times report a distraction from issues such as Senator Sullivan’s support for the war in Iran. In a video posted online, she said, "This is just another distraction. It’s another diversion.. This is all stuff to sell newspapers."
The controversy centers on Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired schoolteacher from Petersburg. A state elections official earlier ruled him ineligible, saying his candidacy was filed to compromise ballot fairness. The Alaska Supreme Court overturned that ruling, allowing him to run. He has denied running at the behest of Democrats, telling reporters in June that he had "Zero, none, zilch" contact with Peltola’s campaign.
Voters will see "Dan S. Sullivan" listed as a registered Republican and incumbent. The challenger, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., will appear on the ballot without a party affiliation.
Source: WKMG-TV
