Alaska Governor Orders Probe of Senate Race After NYT Report on Second Dan Sullivan
The investigation was announced Wednesday night, days before voters head to the polls in a contested election.
By Noor Rossi ·
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered a state investigation into the U.S. Senate race on Wednesday night.
The probe follows a New York Times report claiming Democratic operatives worked to recruit a second candidate named Dan Sullivan. The goal, according to the report, was to confuse voters and draw support away from the Republican incumbent, who also shares the name Dan Sullivan. This race is a toss-up contest that could determine control of the U.S. Senate next year.
Democratic former congresswoman Mary Peltola is challenging the incumbent. Her campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee reiterated their long-standing denial of involvement in the second candidate's run. Peltola called the news a distraction while campaigning Wednesday. The non-incumbent Sullivan did not respond to requests for comment but has previously stated the decision to run was his own.
Republicans have reacted strongly to the reporting. Nate Adams, a spokesperson for the incumbent Sullivan, said Peltola and her campaign spent months denying a scheme they were running. President Trump labeled the situation voter fraud at the highest level in an online post.
The Justice Department had already sought to intervene in this race. Last week, the department asked a court to delay certification if the incumbent lost by a small margin. That legal effort cited potential voter confusion from having two Sullivans on the ballot. Election law experts criticized that initial case as weak because the Constitution gives states control over elections. However, Justice Department officials said Thursday that the new reporting expands their options for investigation. They filed an amended complaint citing the latest information.
Dunleavy directed the state Department of Public Safety to check if the scheme violated Alaska laws. He asked officials to determine if criminal charges or civil action are warranted. It is unclear what specific laws might have been broken.
Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, noted that political trickery is common and hard to legislate against. She told NPR that the internet makes it easy to spread both the trick and the correction. The second Sullivan advanced to the general election after Alaska's nonpartisan primary, which sends the top four vote-getters to the fall ballot. The Alaska Supreme Court ruled in June that he could appear on the ballot. The ballot notes which Sullivan is the Republican incumbent.
Alaska uses ranked-choice voting for the general election. If voters are confused, they can rank both Sullivans and not rank Peltola. Some experts suggest the media attention may reduce voter confusion. Voters will also decide whether to keep the state's unique election system on the same ballot.
Source: KGOU
