Sullivan accuses Peltola of hiding knowledge of Alaska ballot confusion

Voters in Alaska face a confusing ballot on Tuesday as Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic challenger Mary Peltola trade accusations about who put a third candidate with the same last name on the list. The dispute centers on whether Peltola’s team knowingly recruited a retired schoolteacher, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., to act as a decoy.

Sullivan told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that he doubts Peltola’s insistence that she was unaware of the maneuver. He argued that the process ran for a year and that her senior staff would have briefed her. “She got caught lying, and she’s still lying to the Alaskan people, the media, to all of us,” Sullivan said.

The controversy intensified after a New York Times report revealed that a paid operative worked to recruit decoy candidates. Campaign finance documents showed the group funding the effort backed Peltola. Republicans point to these documents and text messages from Peltola’s former campaign manager as proof that her campaign was involved.

Peltola maintains she had no role in recruiting the other Sullivan. In an interview with KTUU Friday, she said, “I have no idea. I honestly have no idea.” Her campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have both denied involvement in the strategy.

The Democratic candidate argues that the focus on the name confusion is a tactic to distract from economic issues. She cited high prices caused by the war in Iran, a conflict she said was launched by President Donald Trump.

The second Sullivan, listed on the ballot as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., has stated he ran on his own accord. The current senator is listed as Dan S. Sullivan and is marked as the Republican incumbent.

President Trump has taken the issue to the federal courts. He ordered the Department of Justice to file a lawsuit to stop the certification of a potential Peltola win. Following the news report, Trump called for the candidate to be prosecuted. Federal agents have issued subpoenas in Alaska, and the Republican governor has ordered an investigation while suggesting he may not certify a Peltola victory.

Senate Majority Leader Tim Scott said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that criminal charges could be appropriate. “We know that it is criminal for candidates to work in collusion with other parties to confuse voters,” Scott said.

Democrats have pushed back on the idea that the strategy is unusual. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., called it “stupid politics” but noted that candidates with the same name appear on ballots frequently. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, agreed that it was a “pretty dumb” move but said it is not illegal.

Sullivan said he would let lawyers decide if a crime occurred but admitted the decoy candidate would cost him votes. “I’m sure I’m going to lose a lot of votes to that trickery,” he said. At a candy giveaway event in Anchorage on Saturday, he joked that his costume was “the real Dan Sullivan.”