Alaska Governor Orders Senate Election Probe

Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy of Alaska has ordered a formal investigation into the campaign of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola. The move follows new reporting that suggests Peltola's team helped recruit a candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., who shares a name with the incumbent Republican senator, Dan Sullivan.

Dunleavy posted the order on social media overnight. He stated that recent evidence reveals an organized effort to manipulate state elections by recruiting candidates to confuse voters. The governor noted that the findings support earlier determinations by the state’s elections board. He described the situation as a direct threat to the integrity of the ballot.

President Donald Trump called for the criminal prosecution of Peltola and her campaign on Wednesday. He later expressed doubt about whether Peltola would be seated in the Senate even if she won the election. The president had previously directed the Department of Justice to sue to block the certification of the election results if the second Sullivan remained on the ballot.

Peltola, a former congresswoman, dismissed the controversy as a distraction. During a campaign stop in Soldotna, she said the reporting was designed to sell newspapers and get subscriptions. She contrasted the naming issue with Sen. Sullivan's support for the war in Iran. Her campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the governor's order.

Vice President JD Vance voiced support for the probe on Thursday. He stated that Peltola has pretended for months to have no involvement with the candidate he called fraudulent. Vance told reporters ahead of a trip to Texas that the situation was disgraceful. He did not call for prosecution, matching a tone slightly less severe than the president's.

The New York Times reported that interviews, text messages, and legal documents showed Peltola’s team aimed to split support for the GOP senator. A top state elections official initially ruled Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. ineligible for the primary ballot. He is a retired schoolteacher from Petersburg who has denied running at the Democrats' behest. He told reporters in June that his contact with Peltola's campaign was zero, none, and zilch.

The Alaska Supreme Court later ruled that Sullivan Jr. was qualified to run. The court reversed the lower official's decision. Voters will see Dan S. Sullivan listed as a registered Republican and incumbent. Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. will appear on the ballot without a party affiliation. This race is one of a few Senate contests expected to determine control of the chamber.

Legal experts note that political parties often support extra candidates to pull votes from rivals. They say the federal government has no role in challenging results if state courts allow such candidates. In Ohio, Republicans have been tied to a similar effort to boost a socialist candidate in the Senate race. Alaskan voters will cast their ballots in the upcoming election with both Sullivans listed.