Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) has directed state law enforcement to investigate whether Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola's campaign broke state law by allegedly engineering a spoiler candidate to siphon votes from her Republican opponent, Sen. Dan Sullivan.
The governor's action came late Wednesday, hours after The New York Times reported that Peltola's campaign had secretly worked to recruit a candidate named Dan J. Sullivan—a retired teacher—to run in the race, potentially confusing voters into casting ballots for the wrong person. Under Alaska's unusual four-person general election format, both Sullivans will appear on the ballot next week.
In a social media post, Dunleavy said the report revealed an effort to "deliberately confuse voters and misdirect their votes." He added, "Alaskans have a fundamental right to vote for the candidate they actually intend to support. Deliberately tricking voters into casting their ballots for someone else strikes at the integrity of our elections." The governor has asked the Alaska Department of Public Safety to determine whether the scheme violated state law and whether criminal charges or civil penalties are warranted.
Both Peltola's campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have denied any involvement in the alleged plot. But the controversy has escalated quickly, drawing sharp responses from national figures. President Trump on Wednesday called for Peltola and the spoiler candidate to be removed from the ballot and prosecuted, writing on Truth Social: "The Democrats cheated! They found a man named Dan Sullivan, put him on the Ballot, then lied to the Court, and said they didn't know anything about it. That's perjury. She shouldn't be allowed to run, and neither should the FAKE Dan Sullivan!"
The president's comments follow earlier accusations of voter fraud and his directive last week for the Justice Department to file a lawsuit seeking to block certification of Alaska's Senate election if Sullivan loses. That suit alleges Dan J. Sullivan entered the race as a Republican "with the intention of misleading" voters.
Meanwhile, Sen. Lisa Murkowski has demanded answers from Peltola about the allegations, and Republicans have escalated their attacks on the Democratic candidate. The controversy has also drawn attention to the broader dynamics of split-ticket voting in key Senate races.
Legal experts note that while recruiting a spoiler candidate is not explicitly illegal under federal law, Alaska's election code prohibits deceptive practices, and the state's attorney general could pursue charges if evidence of fraud emerges. The DOJ lawsuit, filed in federal court, argues that the scheme violates the Constitution's Elections Clause.
Peltola's campaign has dismissed the allegations as a "baseless distraction" and insisted that the campaign "had no involvement in the recruitment of any candidate." The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee echoed that denial. But with early voting already underway and Election Day approaching, the dispute is likely to fuel further legal battles and public scrutiny.
Dunleavy's investigation adds another layer to an already contentious race. The Alaska GOP administration has moved to dismiss the DOJ's election lawsuit, arguing that the federal government lacks standing to interfere with state election procedures. That motion is pending before a federal judge.
