Alaska’s competitive Senate race has become embroiled in controversy following reports of a potential ballot-stacking effort. Republican officials, including incumbent Senator Dan S Sullivan, have accused Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign of recruiting a candidate named Dan J Sullivan to run in the race with the intention of confusing voters at the ballot box.
According to reporting earlier this week, Peltola’s campaign staff worked with senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to identify candidates, including Dan J Sullivan, who could run as spoiler candidates to fragment support for the Republican incumbent. The New York Times obtained interviews with over a dozen people involved in or aware of the plan, as well as text messages and documents substantiating the effort. Peltola initially denied knowledge of Dan J Sullivan’s candidacy, stating she was “not interested in tricking voters.” The candidate himself told media outlets he sought to provide conservative Alaskans with an alternative option rather than deliberately mislead voters.
Ballot stacking, the tactic of recruiting additional candidates to draw votes from opponents, remains legal under US election law and is employed by both major political parties. However, US Attorney General Todd Blanche characterized the alleged scheme as “cheating” and “fraud,” suggesting it warrants legal consideration. Republican leaders have called for investigations and potential removal of Peltola from the ballot, while Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy announced an inquiry into whether criminal charges or civil action may be appropriate.
The situation escalated when the presidential administration filed a lawsuit seeking to block certification of Senate election results should the incumbent senator lose. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit over the weekend, though the administration has indicated plans to appeal. Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, condemned the reported ballot-stacking effort while simultaneously criticizing the justice department’s legal action in the matter.
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