Justice Department Halts Alaska Senate Certification Amid Ballot Name Conflict

The Justice Department has moved to pause the certification of Alaska’s U.S. Senate election results. The delay stems from the presence of two candidates with the name Dan Sullivan on the official ballot. This procedural step follows reports that the campaign of Democrat Mary Peltola participated in a long-term effort to recruit a second candidate with the same name.

The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Peltola’s team and senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee orchestrated the scheme. The goal was to confuse voters who might see two similar names on the ballot. The theory was that this confusion would inadvertently boost the incumbent Republican, Dan Sullivan, by causing some voters to select the wrong name.

On the ballot, the incumbent senator is listed as Sullivan, Dan S. The other candidate is Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr., a retired schoolteacher. The visual similarity of the two entries has created a logistical hurdle for election officials as they finalize the count.

Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, described the situation as a scandal of the highest order during an interview with Fox News. He claimed that Peltola and her team spent more than a year planning a secret operation. Sullivan argued that the scheme was designed to trick Alaskans into throwing away their votes for the wrong candidate.

"They've been lying for almost a year about it, and now they're caught," Sullivan told host Sean Hannity. He said the incident demonstrated that Democrats would do anything to gain power. Sullivan noted that his challenger had previously run on a platform of fighting corruption, a claim he said was hypocritical given the alleged internal strategy.

Peltola has rejected the narrative of a coordinated scheme. Her campaign has called the media coverage a distraction intended to sell newspapers. In a previous statement to Fox News, the Alaskans for Mary campaign asserted that it had no involvement with either Sullivan campaign. Peltola maintains that the reports are an attempt to muddy the waters of the race.

Federal prosecutors are conducting an aggressive criminal investigation into how the second Sullivan secured his place on the ballot. Two sources familiar with the matter confirmed the scope of the probe to Fox News. The investigation focuses on the mechanics of getting a second candidate with that name onto the official list of choices for voters.

Sullivan emphasized that the outcome of the Alaska race carries national weight. The state’s single Senate seat could determine which party holds a majority in the chamber. He argued that the dispute is not just a local issue but a matter that affects the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.

The incumbent is campaigning around the clock to inform residents of the potential confusion. Sullivan stated that his team is telling every Alaskan not to let their vote be stolen. Fox News Digital reached out to the Peltola campaign for comment on the Justice Department's move.