Peltola denies knowing of rival Sullivan bid
The Alaska Democratic candidate says she was unaware of a recruitment effort for a second candidate with a similar name.
By Ricardo Alvarez ·
Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola stated on Thursday that she had no prior knowledge of a second candidate sharing a similar name with the incumbent Republican senator. She made the remarks at a rally in Juneau, aiming to clarify the campaign's position just days before the general election.
The controversy began with a New York Times report published on Wednesday. The article detailed how Peltola's campaign and senior aides from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee helped recruit Dan J. Sullivan. He is a Republican who runs under a name nearly identical to that of Sen. Dan S. Sullivan. Former Peltola staffer Elisa Rios told the paper that Peltola was directly aware of the effort. Peltola's campaign previously told ABC News that it had no involvement with either Sullivan campaign.
Peltola rejected the idea that the campaign intended to confuse voters. During a social media video, she described the media coverage as a diversion. She added, "I am not interested in tricking voters. I know I can beat Dan Sullivan." The candidate emphasized that her only concern was defeating the incumbent, not managing the ballot list.
Legal challenges to the ballot have already played out in state courts. Judges reviewed the dispute and found nothing illegal about Dan J. Sullivan's candidacy. They ruled this true even if the bid was an attempt to mislead voters, a point the Trump administration and Republican officials continue to argue. President Donald Trump claimed on Friday that voters would need a 190 IQ to navigate the ballot, despite clear distinctions in party affiliation and incumbency status.
The primary results show the margin of victory for Peltola exceeded the share of votes captured by the second Sullivan. Peltola received 48 percent of the primary vote, while Dan J. Sullivan received 2 percent. Sen. Sullivan secured 43 percent in the primary contest.
Federal authorities are now investigating the matter. The Justice Department has issued new subpoenas related to a criminal probe into the recruitment of Dan J. Sullivan. Additionally, the Trump administration filed a civil lawsuit seeking to block the state from certifying election results if Sen. Sullivan loses narrowly. A federal judge is expected to rule on that injunction in the coming days.
Sen. Sullivan criticized the Democratic effort during a Fox News interview on Thursday. He described the recruitment as a secret operation designed to trick Alaskans. He stated the primary purpose of placing a fake Dan Sullivan on the ballot was to cause confusion among voters.
