President Trump declared that Democratic candidate Mary Peltola should be barred from competing in Alaska’s upcoming Senate election, pointing to a published report indicating that individuals aligned with her campaign helped recruit an independent candidate sharing the exact name of her primary Republican opponent, incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan.
Writing on social media, Trump labeled the situation election fraud and argued that Peltola should not be permitted to run. The controversy centers on Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher running as an unaffiliated candidate alongside Peltola and the incumbent Republican senator in the state’s ranked-choice voting contest.
According to reporting published Wednesday, a Democratic operative who worked with Peltola’s campaign and national Democrats encouraged Daniel J. Sullivan to enter the race as part of a broader strategy to draw multiple candidates into the contest. The presence of the second candidate has drawn sharp criticism from Republicans for months, with the incumbent senator characterizing his same-name rival as a sham candidate designed to mislead voters. Daniel J. Sullivan has consistently denied those claims, maintaining that his candidacy is genuine.
State officials previously attempted to block the independent candidate from the ballot, arguing his bid lacked good faith and risked voter confusion. However, the Alaska Supreme Court overturned that decision, ruling that the candidate was legally qualified to appear on the ballot.
The legal and political fallout intensified last week when the Justice Department filed a lawsuit asking to block the certification of the election if incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan loses due to voter confusion surrounding the dueling Sullivans. Attorney General Todd Blanche described the legal action as an effort to establish protective guardrails. When asked about the lawsuit, Trump told reporters that he initiated the directive, stating that he was the one who told officials to proceed.
Nate Adams, a spokesperson for Sen. Dan Sullivan’s campaign, criticized Peltola’s involvement in a statement reacting to the recent revelations, asserting that Alaskans deserved transparency. Trump echoed those concerns in remarks to reporters, calling the arrangement a created fake candidate situation and voter fraud at the highest level.
Both Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee strongly denied any involvement in recruiting or supporting Daniel J. Sullivan. A Peltola campaign spokesperson dismissed outside threats and defended her entry into the race, while a DSCC spokesperson countered that Republicans have a history of candidate recruitment tactics, pointing to past independent bids in Alaska elections.
