Democrats' Democracy Warnings Muted Amid Alaska Election Report
Numerous Democratic lawmakers who have previously spoken out against threats to democracy have not responded to questions regarding an alleged effort to confuse voters in Alaska's Senate race.
Prominent Democrats who have frequently warned about threats to the nation's democracy have remained silent in response to reports of a scheme to confuse voters in Alaska's recent Senate election. Fox News Digital reached out to 42 Democratic lawmakers and governors who endorsed Senate candidate Mary Peltola, inquiring if they would denounce the alleged effort to mislead voters. As of publication, none had responded.
The New York Times reported that aides to Peltola, a Democrat, allegedly helped recruit a candidate named Dan Sullivan to run in the Senate race. The report suggests this was an effort to draw votes away from the Republican incumbent, Sen. Dan Sullivan. Peltola's campaign has denied any involvement in such a scheme.
This silence from Democratic figures contrasts with their past statements on democratic integrity. For instance, Sen. Richard Blumenthal has stated that "voter suppression is poisonous, it is toxic to our democracy." Similarly, Sen. Chris Murphy argued that "those of us who believe that the threat to democracy is urgent" need to "act like it." Sen. Cory Booker stated in 2016 that "protecting American democracy is a calling far higher than party politics."
Sen. John Fetterman, known for sometimes diverging from his party, has also not commented on the controversy. Democratic Govs. Wes Moore of Maryland and Gavin Newsom of California, along with former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, were among those who did not respond to requests for comment. Iowa Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand, however, told Fox News that "both parties are doing it and neither party should be doing it," referring to such tactics as "manipulating the political system."
Peltola's campaign has maintained that it "has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign." The Times based its reporting on obtained text messages and interviews with former campaign staffers.
The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Alaska, seeking to delay certification of the Senate election results. This action is contingent on the outcome if votes cast for the candidate Dan Sullivan could have influenced the election, pending an investigation into potential voter confusion.
Legal experts have noted that such cases face considerable challenges, particularly in inferring voter intent from anonymous ballots and navigating state sovereignty over election matters.
Among the Democratic Senators contacted were Adam Schiff, Alex Padilla, Maggie Hassan, Chuck Schumer, Catherine Cortez Masto, Angela Alsobrooks, Andy Kim, Brian Schatz, Ed Markey, Elissa Slotkin, John Hickenlooper, Jon Ossoff, Kirsten Gillibrand, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Mark Kelly, Michael Bennet, Ruben Gallego, Sheldon Whitehouse, and Tammy Duckworth. Also contacted were U.S. House members including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Chris Pappas, Brittany Pettersen, Eric Sorensen, Mike Levin, Hillary Scholten, Jared Huffman, Josh Harder, Pramila Jayapal, Sarah McBride, George Whitesides, Jonathan Nez, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. Former Sen. Sherrod Brown and Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford were also asked for their reactions.