Alaska Governor Orders Criminal Probe Into Senate Ballot Name Confusion

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a formal investigation on Wednesday into the U.S. Senate race after a report alleged that a campaign team for Rep. Mary Peltola sought to recruit a candidate with the same name as the incumbent Republican senator. The governor tasked the Department of Public Safety with determining if the scheme violated state statutes or warranted criminal charges.

The probe follows a New York Times article published on Wednesday that detailed efforts by Peltola’s team to place Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr., a retired teacher, on the ballot. The Times reported that the group worked to recruit Sullivan and other independent candidates to dilute support for the incumbent, Dan S. Sullivan, in the state’s ranked-choice voting system. Dunleavy stated in a post on X that the new reporting supported findings from a June investigation by the Alaska Division of Elections.

Both men appear on the same ballot for the Senate contest. Dan S. Sullivan is the incumbent Republican, while Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr., is listed as having no party affiliation. The governor argued that voters have a right to support the specific candidate they intend to choose and that confusing names strike at the integrity of the election. He noted that the evidence would determine whether civil or criminal action is necessary.

The issue has already reached the federal courts. On Oct. 22, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit seeking to delay the certification of the election results if Dan S. Sullivan loses. The suit aims to pause certification if votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan could have altered the outcome, pending an inquiry into whether voters mistakenly selected the wrong name.

Sen. Dan S. Sullivan addressed the controversy during an interview on Wednesday night. He criticized his opponent, stating, "This is what happens when you have a candidate like Peltola, far left, who's got nothing to run on." He added that Peltola had not yet apologized for the situation and continued to act as if nothing had occurred.

Rep. Mary Peltola’s campaign responded to the allegations in a statement to the New York Times. The team claimed the Alaskans for Mary campaign had no involvement with either Sullivan campaign and did not recruit any candidates into the race. Peltola’s office did not immediately respond to a comment request on Thursday.

The Department of Public Safety will now review the evidence to determine if laws were broken. The outcome of this investigation will dictate whether the state pursues legal remedies in the ongoing Senate contest.