Senator Sullivan Warns 'Decoy Dan' Scheme is Working to Confuse Alaska Voters

Incumbent Alaska Sen. Dan S. Sullivan voiced strong concerns Sunday that a scheme to place another candidate named Dan Sullivan on the ballot is succeeding in confusing voters, potentially impacting the election's outcome. "Their scheme is working," Sullivan stated on CNN's "State of the Union," referring to alleged efforts by allies of Democratic rival Mary Peltola to recruit a candidate dubbed "Decoy Dan."

Sullivan, a Republican, expressed worry that he might lose votes due to this tactic. "I’m sure I’m going to lose a lot of votes to that trickery," he said. The recruitment of Dan J. Sullivan, a retired public-school teacher, onto the Senate ballot has drawn scrutiny, with reports suggesting his allies were connected to Peltola's campaign.

While Peltola has denied direct involvement, a former campaign manager, Elisa Rios, claimed Peltola was "definitely aware" of the situation. Rios was among several staff members reshuffled out of the campaign in August. "Decoy Dan" is registered as a Republican but has reportedly voted Democrat in recent election cycles and has a Che Guevara magnet on his refrigerator.

Initial denials of a connection between Peltola's team and "Decoy Dan" have been challenged by reporting that identified text messages and staff connections linking them. "This is treating the people of my state with utter disrespect and disdain," Sen. Sullivan told CNN, adding, "And I don’t think it’s worthy of a US senator or a US Senate candidate."

The Department of Justice is reportedly investigating whether any laws were violated concerning "Decoy Dan's" presence on the ballot. The DOJ has also taken legal action to prevent the certification of the election results if Sen. Sullivan were to lose. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer suggested that Peltola might not be seated if she wins the race due to the controversy.

Despite these concerns and other Republicans equivocating on accepting election results, Sen. Sullivan affirmed his commitment to accepting the outcome. "I’m going to accept the election results," he stated, urging voters to "Don’t let this election be stolen."

According to the latest RealClearPolitics aggregate of polls, Peltola holds a 2 percentage-point lead over Sen. Sullivan. Alaska utilizes a unique ranked-choice voting system where the top four candidates advance to the general election ballot.