The campaign for Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola is facing scrutiny following a report alleging its involvement in recruiting a second Republican named Dan Sullivan to run in the state's Senate race. The New York Times reported Wednesday that members of Peltola's campaign, along with lawyers and senior aides from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), allegedly contributed to encouraging Dan J. Sullivan to enter the race. This effort, reportedly referred to internally as the "ballot composition project," aimed to create voter confusion and potentially siphon votes away from incumbent GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan, thereby benefiting Peltola's campaign.
The report cited 12 sources, text messages, and documents as the basis for its claims. However, Alaskans for Mary, Peltola's campaign committee, issued a statement asserting it "has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign." Similarly, the DSCC denied any involvement with Dan J. Sullivan. A DSCC spokesperson deflected the accusations by pointing to historical Republican tactics, citing an instance in 2024 where the state Republican Party allegedly supported a candidate challenging Peltola in her House reelection bid.
President Donald Trump reacted strongly to the report, stating on social media that Peltola should face legal and political consequences and that both she and Dan J. Sullivan should be removed from the ballot, calling the actions "election fraud." He further stated that Sen. Dan Sullivan "should be allowed to run without either Mary Peltola or FAKE Dan Sullivan on the Ballot."
Alaska courts have previously examined the dispute over Dan J. Sullivan's candidacy and found no illegality in his bid for the ballot, though they acknowledged the potential for his candidacy to "confuse and mislead" voters, as contended by Republicans and the Trump administration. Ballot-stacking tactics are widely considered legal in politics, according to The New York Times report.
Former Peltola staffer Elisa Rios reportedly told The Times that Peltola was aware of the recruitment effort, though not directly involved. However, Rios later requested a retraction of her statements to the newspaper without providing a reason. Rios was reportedly fired from the campaign earlier in the summer, shortly before the Alaska primary election. At the time, Peltola's campaign stated that "staffing updates" were occurring as they transitioned to the general election.
For months, Republicans have alleged that Dan J. Sullivan was recruited to sow confusion among Alaskan voters and potentially divert support from the incumbent Republican senator. Nate Adams, campaign spokesperson for Sen. Sullivan, stated that "Alaskans deserve the truth" and accused Peltola and her campaign of "gaslighting Alaskans" and attempting to "deceive" voters.
ABC News has also reported that the Department of Justice has an ongoing criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Dan J. Sullivan's candidacy. Last week, the Trump administration preemptively filed a lawsuit seeking to block the certification of the Alaska Senate race results should Sen. Sullivan narrowly lose, citing voter confusion due to the presence of two candidates named Dan Sullivan on the ballot.