Alaska Election: Governor Orders Statewide Probe Into Senate Candidate

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has ordered a state investigation into the campaign of Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola. The directive was issued late Wednesday and posted on social media on Thursday. This action follows a New York Times report alleging that Peltola's team attempted to recruit a second candidate to run under a name similar to that of the Republican incumbent.

The New York Times reported that interviews, text messages, and documents prepared for a potential lawsuit indicated Peltola's staff aimed to split Republican support. The strategy involved recruiting candidates, including one with the same name as Senator Dan Sullivan. Dunleavy stated that this evidence reveals an organized effort to manipulate the election. He wrote that the reporting shows a deliberate attempt to confuse voters and misdirect their votes.

The governor noted that the new findings support earlier conclusions by the state elections board. That body previously ruled that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired schoolteacher from Petersburg, was ineligible for the primary ballot. The board found his candidacy was filed to compromise the ballot's fairness. However, the Alaska Supreme Court later overturned that ruling, determining that Sullivan was qualified to run.

Sullivan, who has long denied acting at the behest of the Democratic campaign, will appear on ballots without a party affiliation. The incumbent will be listed as Dan S. Sullivan, identified as a registered Republican. Peltola, a former congresswoman, responded to the controversy during a campaign stop in Soldotna. She described the New York Times report as a distraction from substantive issues, such as Sullivan's support for the war in Iran.

Peltola said in a video posted online, "This is just another distraction. It's another diversion. This is all stuff to sell newspapers. This is all stuff to get subscriptions." Her campaign did not immediately respond to requests for further comment on the governor's order.

The probe arrives as President Donald Trump intensifies his scrutiny of the race. Trump previously directed the Department of Justice to sue to block the certification of the election if Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. remained on the ballot. On Wednesday, the president told reporters he believed the candidates should be prosecuted. He also posted on social media that Peltola should suffer legal and political consequences for her actions.

The Senate race in Alaska is one of several contests expected to determine control of the chamber. The state's two-vote system requires voters to rank two candidates for the two open seats. The presence of two Sullivans on the ballot has complicated the choice for voters who intend to support the Republican incumbent.