President Trump accused Democrats and the campaign of Mary Peltola of fraud and perjury on Wednesday, reacting to published reports that Peltola campaign aides assisted in recruiting a candidate named Dan Sullivan to enter Alaska’s competitive Senate race.
The controversy surrounds the presence of a second Dan Sullivan on the ballot, a development that threatens to complicate the reelection bid of the incumbent Republican senator, Dan Sullivan. According to reports, Peltola campaign aides collaborated with experienced Democratic ballot strategist Jerid Kurtz. A Peltola staffer was reportedly directed to search statewide records for individuals sharing the name, eventually locating Dan J. Sullivan.
Dan J. Sullivan is a retired teacher who registered as a Republican shortly before filing his candidacy. Public records indicate he previously voted for Democrats in the past three presidential elections and subsequently changed his party registration to undeclared. He will appear on the November ballot without a political party affiliation.
In a Wednesday afternoon social media post on Truth Social, President Trump alleged that Democrats in Alaska deliberately searched for and recruited a candidate to confuse voters and siphon support from the incumbent. Trump wrote that the actions were intended to defraud and obfuscate the election, adding that statements made under oath in federal court constituted perjury carrying severe potential consequences.
Trump asserted that Peltola should face legal and political repercussions, calling the situation a fraud on the public, and argued that the incumbent senator should be permitted to run without opposition from either Peltola or the second candidate. Trump did not provide evidence to support his claims of election fraud.
The “Alaskans for Mary” campaign strongly pushed back against the allegations in a Wednesday evening email statement. A campaign spokesperson criticized outside political pressure and stated that the campaign had no involvement with either Sullivan campaign. The campaign also confirmed that no formal assertions had been made in federal court regarding how Dan J. Sullivan decided to run or who participated in his recruitment.
Meanwhile, the political and legal fallout has extended into the federal courts. The Trump administration filed a lawsuit against the State of Alaska seeking to delay certification of the Senate election results if the Republican incumbent narrowly loses, citing concerns over potential voter confusion and the need for an investigation.
Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have moved to intervene in the litigation, asking a federal judge to dismiss the challenge. Additional organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the League of Women Voters of Alaska, and Common Cause, have also petitioned to join the case.
Alaska utilizes a ranked-choice voting system, allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference, a mechanism that places heightened scrutiny on ballot composition and candidate alignments as the election approaches.
