Alaska Governor Opens Investigation Into Senate Race Name Mix-up
Gov. Mike Dunleavy launched a probe after reports suggested a Democrat’s team recruited a candidate with the same name as the incumbent Republican senator.
By Sofia Ramirez ·
Alaska voters face a potential change in how their state’s Senate race is scrutinized. Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered a formal investigation into the campaign of Democratic nominee Mary Peltola. The move follows reports that her team helped recruit a candidate sharing the name of the current Republican senator.
The governor posted the order on social media on October 28. He cited reporting from The New York Times, which alleged an organized effort to confuse voters. Dunleavy stated that recruiting a candidate with the same name as an incumbent strikes at the integrity of elections. He noted that the new evidence supports earlier findings by the state elections board.
The controversy centers on Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired schoolteacher from Petersburg. He is running against incumbent Dan Sullivan, who is listed as Dan S. Sullivan on the ballot. The state elections board initially ruled the junior candidate ineligible, claiming his candidacy was filed to mislead voters. The Alaska Supreme Court later reversed that decision, ruling he was qualified to run.
President Donald Trump amplified the dispute on October 28. He called for the criminal prosecution of Peltola and her campaign. The president previously directed the Department of Justice to sue to block the certification of the race if the junior candidate remained on the ballot. On Wednesday, Trump told reporters he believed the candidates should be prosecuted.
Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman, responded during a campaign stop in Soldotna on October 28. She described the media reports as a distraction from policy issues, such as the war in Iran. “This is just another distraction. It’s another diversion,” she said in a video posted online. Her campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the governor’s order.
Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. has denied any connection to the Democratic campaign. In June, he told reporters he had no contact with Peltola’s team, describing their relationship as “zero, none, zilch.” The New York Times reported that interviews and text messages show Peltola’s team aimed to split support for the GOP senator. Alaskan ballots will list the incumbent as a registered Republican, while the junior candidate will appear without a party affiliation.
