Peltola Campaign Involved in Alaska Ballot Strategy to Field Dan Sullivan Lookalike

Democratic aides and outside operatives participated in a coordinated effort to field candidates with the same name as incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, according to an investigation published by The New York Times on Wednesday. The plan, labeled the "ballot composition project" in internal documents, sought to divide the Republican vote in the Alaska Senate race. The New York Times reported that the strategy involved recruiting nameless candidates and leveraging party resources to influence the final ballot lineup.

The operation began in the summer of 2025. A staffer for Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola was tasked with reviewing state voter rolls to identify residents named Dan Sullivan. The campaign then targeted Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg. Sullivan, described as a left-leaning voter, changed his party registration to Republican shortly before filing his candidacy. His presence on the ballot was intended to mimic the name of the incumbent senator, who is Dan S. Sullivan.

Jerid Kurtz, a Democratic operative, played a central role in executing the plan. The report states that Kurtz traveled across Alaska using aliases, including the name "Zane." He met with potential candidates at local pubs and diners. During these meetings, Kurtz offered financial backing to conservative and independent candidates. The goal was to persuade these individuals to run and absorb votes from the right-leaning electorate.

Elisa Rios, who served as Peltola’s campaign manager until her dismissal in August, spoke to The New York Times about her knowledge of the project. Rios stated that while Peltola did not directly orchestrate the effort, the candidate was "definitely aware." She argued that Alaskan voters need the full picture to make informed decisions. Rios initially attempted to retract her comments before the story went to press, but the newspaper cited text messages, internal documents, and 11 other sources to corroborate her account.

The strategy extended beyond recruiting a single namesake. Operatives also pressured progressive candidate David Leslie to withdraw from the race. This move was designed to prevent Leslie from siphoning votes away from Peltola. Following Leslie's exit, drywall contractor Gerald Heikes secured the fourth spot on Alaska’s ranked-choice ballot. The campaign also explored creating a third-party group called the "MAGA party" to further split the Republican vote. Advisors discussed the idea with Jacquelyn Lopez, an attorney with Elias Law Group who represents both the DSCC and Peltola’s campaign. The group abandoned the third-party strategy in May.

President Donald Trump reacted to the findings through a series of posts on Truth Social. He labeled the situation "ELECTION FRAUD" and argued that Peltola should not keep her name on the ballot. Trump claimed that the Democrats found a man named Dan Sullivan, placed him on the ballot, and then lied to the court about their knowledge. He described the act as perjury and called Dan J. Sullivan a "FAKE" candidate.

Peltola’s campaign responded to the report by stating that the "Alaskans for Mary" campaign had no involvement with either Sullivan campaign. The campaign said it did not recruit any candidates into the race. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee echoed this stance. A DSCC spokesperson noted that Republicans have a history of recruiting candidates to boost their own campaigns. The DSCC cited instances where Republicans recruited a prisoner with a New York address and an Arizona resident to secure spots on the Alaska ballot.

The White House amplified the criticism through a post by Communications Director Steven Cheung on X. The post described the plan as a "secret, CORRUPT" strategy to stack Alaska's ballot. The investigation arrives just days before Election Day. A Justice Department lawsuit is currently seeking to block the certification of the election if the incumbent Sullivan loses due to voter confusion over the two identical names. Under Alaska's four-person general election system, Peltola is the sole Democrat on the ballot. She will face off against Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, Dan J. Sullivan, and Gerald Heikes.