President Donald Trump has demanded that Alaska alter its election ballot following a report detailing efforts by Democratic operatives to recruit a same-name candidate in the state’s high-profile U.S. Senate race.
Trump criticized the development on social media, alleging an attempt to defraud and confuse voters by placing an unaffiliated candidate named Dan J. Sullivan on the ballot alongside the incumbent Republican senator, Dan S. Sullivan. The race also features Democratic candidate Mary Peltola and Republican challenger Gerald Heikes in what has emerged as one of the nation’s most closely watched midterm contests.
The ballot placement followed a months-long recruitment effort dubbed the “ballot composition project,” which involved staff members from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Peltola’s campaign. The operation included secret trips to remote parts of Alaska to identify potential namesakes. The effort ultimately secured Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, as an unaffiliated candidate on the ballot.
Elisa Rios, Peltola’s former campaign manager, stated that the recruitment initiative began last summer and that Peltola was aware of the project, though not personally involved. According to Rios, Democratic operative Jerid Kurtz participated in discussions after contacting the prospective candidate in Petersburg. Records indicate that 49th State, a pro-Peltola super PAC, paid Kurtz’s firm roughly $87,000 this year, though a spokesperson for the PAC denied ever hiring or paying Kurtz.
Peltola’s campaign and the DSCC have denied direct involvement with Dan J. Sullivan’s candidate team, and the candidate himself has maintained that his decision to run was entirely his own. Kurtz did not respond to requests for comment.
The controversy has triggered legal battles. Last week, the Justice Department filed a federal lawsuit seeking to prevent Alaska officials from certifying a Peltola victory if Dan J. Sullivan remains on the ballot. The Alaska Supreme Court had previously rejected Republican efforts to remove him. Trump urged that the incumbent senator be allowed to run without competition from either Peltola or the same-name independent challenger.
Peltola has criticized the federal lawsuit as an example of flagrant corruption, stating that the incumbent senator is utilizing Washington allies to maintain power. Meanwhile, critics of the recruitment effort argue that such ballot-stacking tactics undermine electoral clarity, while historical precedents show that same-name challenges and ballot maneuvers have surfaced in past U.S. elections.
With Election Day approaching in less than a week, the federal lawsuit remains pending as legal and political disputes over the ballot composition continue.
