Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has ordered an investigation into an alleged scheme involving people connected to Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola's campaign who, a New York Times report said, tried to recruit spoiler candidates, including a retired teacher also named Dan Sullivan, as part of a broader effort to dilute support for the incumbent senator. The Republican governor said he was acting on the report and directing the Department of Public Safety to investigate whether Alaska's laws were violated.
Dunleavy wrote in a statement that the Times reporting had supported findings by the state Division of Elections earlier this year. "I am therefore directing the Department of Public Safety to investigate whether this scheme violated Alaska's laws and whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted," he said. "The evidence will determine what happens next."
Analysts consider the race between incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola one of the closest in the upcoming US midterm elections. Alaska's ranked-choice voting system means that voters could select both Sullivans on the ballot, which is set to list the two men as Dan S Sullivan and Daniel J Sullivan Jr.
Incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan has called on Peltola to "come clean," calling the situation a scandal of the highest order. Fellow Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski accused the Democratic campaign of a "pattern of lies." President Donald Trump has called for Peltola to be barred from the ballot and repeated his endorsement for Dan S Sullivan, writing that he is "a GREAT man."
Peltola's campaign has denied any involvement. A spokesperson said: "Mary got in this race because Alaskans deserve a champion who is fighting to lower their costs and put Alaska first, and no tweet or threat from any DC politician will keep her away from that fight. The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign." The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also denied involvement, and the second Dan Sullivan said he had no links to the Peltola campaign.
The New York Times reported that people connected to Peltola's campaign and senior aides at the DSCC worked to try to recruit the schoolteacher to stand, part of a broader effort to encourage spoiler candidates. The newspaper said it had seen text messages and interviewed 12 people who participated in or were told of the plan. The BBC has not independently verified the report.
The Alaska Supreme Court previously rejected Republican efforts to remove the teacher from the ballot, finding no state laws had been broken. The Trump administration last week filed a legal case aimed at preventing the certification of the result if Senator Sullivan loses, arguing that the presence of both Sullivans could confuse voters. Some legal experts expressed scepticism about the case, given the court ruling.
Peltola earlier this week paused campaigning after she and her family sustained minor injuries in a car crash.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The investigation could affect the outcome of one of the most competitive Senate races, potentially determining whether Republicans retain control of the Senate.
- The case highlights concerns about voter confusion and election integrity, especially with ranked-choice voting.
- The allegations and legal battles could delay the certification of the result and the broader picture of which party controls Congress after the midterms.
Background
The US midterm elections, held on Tuesday, will decide control of both chambers of Congress. The Alaska Senate race has drawn national attention because of the same-name controversy. Republican efforts to remove the second Dan Sullivan from the ballot were rejected by the Alaska Supreme Court. The Trump administration has also sought to intervene, filing a case to block certification if Senator Sullivan loses.
Key Perspectives
- Governor Mike Dunleavy (R-Alaska): Called for an investigation into whether the scheme violated state laws, citing a New York Times report.
- Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska): Accused Peltola of a scandal of the highest order and called on her to "come clean."
- Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska): Said the Democratic campaign engaged in a "pattern of lies."
- President Donald Trump: Called for Peltola to be barred from the ballot.
- Mary Peltola campaign: Denied any involvement in recruiting spoiler candidates, stating the campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign.
- Dan Sullivan (the retired teacher): Denied any links to the Peltola campaign.
- Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee: Denied involvement in any scheme.
What to Watch
- The investigation by the Alaska Department of Public Safety and whether it leads to criminal charges or civil action.
- The legal case filed by the Trump administration to block certification, and how courts rule.
- The outcome of the election itself on Tuesday and whether the same-name issue leads to delayed results or legal challenges.
Checked
11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 10 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedAlaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered an investigation into an alleged spoiler-candidate scheme.BBC News: “The Republican governor of Alaska has ordered an investigation into an alleged "scheme" which led to two Dan Sullivans standing in the state's US Senate race.”
- SupportedDunleavy said he was directing the Department of Public Safety to investigate whether the scheme violated Alaska law and whether charges or civil action were warranted.BBC News: “"I am therefore directing the Department of Public Safety to investigate whether this scheme violated Alaska's laws and whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted," he wrote.”
- SupportedDunleavy said, “The evidence will determine what happens next.”BBC News: “"The evidence will determine what happens next."”
- SupportedThe New York Times reported that people connected to Peltola’s campaign and senior DSCC aides tried to recruit the retired teacher Dan Sullivan as a spoiler candidate.BBC News: “The NYT report alleged that people connected to Peltola's campaign, as well as senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), worked to try to recruit Sullivan the schoolteacher to stand in the Senate race.”
- Partly supportedThe New York Times interviewed 12 people who participated in or were told of the plan.BBC News: “The paper said it had seen text messages and interviewed 12 people who who participated in or were told of the plan, or were would-be candidates who the team tried to recruit.”
- SupportedSenator Dan Sullivan told Peltola to “come clean” and described the situation as “a scandal of the highest order.”BBC News: “Senator Dan Sullivan told Fox News on Wednesday night that Peltola should "come clean" and described it as a scandal of the highest order.”
- SupportedSenator Lisa Murkowski accused the Democratic campaign of a “pattern of lies.”BBC News: “His fellow Republican senator in Alaska, Lisa Murkowksi, accused the Democratic campaign of engaging in a "pattern of lies".”
- SupportedTrump endorsed Dan S Sullivan and called him “a GREAT man.”BBC News: “He repeated his endorsement for Dan S Sullivan, the incumbent Republican senator, writing: "Dan is a GREAT man, has ALWAYS delivered for Alaska."”
- SupportedThe Alaskans for Mary campaign said it had no involvement with either Sullivan campaign.BBC News: “"The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign."”
- SupportedThe Alaska Supreme Court rejected Republican efforts to remove the retired teacher from the ballot and found no state laws had been broken.BBC News: “Previous efforts by the Republicans to remove that Sullivan, the retired teacher, from the ballot have already been rejected by the Alaska Supreme Court which found no state laws had been broken by him running in the race.”
- SupportedThe Trump administration filed a legal case last week aimed at preventing certification of the result if Senator Sullivan loses, arguing that both Sullivans on the ballot could confuse voters.BBC News: “The Trump administration filed a legal case last week aimed at preventing the certification of the result if the Trump-backed Sullivan loses, arguing that the presence of both Sullivans on the ballot could confuse voters.”