Alaska Governor Orders Senate Ballot Probe

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered the Department of Public Safety to investigate the state's U.S. Senate race following a New York Times report on alleged campaign interference. The probe will determine if the conduct violated state law and whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted. The announcement came Wednesday night as the race approaches a conclusion on Tuesday.

The controversy centers on two candidates named Dan Sullivan on the general election ballot. The incumbent, a Republican, faces a challenge from Democrat Mary Peltola. A second, non-incumbent Sullivan also qualified for the ballot after finishing in the top four of Alaska's nonpartisan primary. The New York Times reported that Democratic operatives sought to recruit this second candidate, a move Republicans have long alleged could confuse voters and split the Republican vote.

The Times based its story on interviews and communications involving Peltola's legal team, advisers, and senior staff from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Both the Peltola campaign and the DSCC reiterated their previous denials of involvement after the story broke. While campaigning Wednesday, Peltola described the reporting as a distraction. The non-incumbent Sullivan did not immediately respond to requests for comment, though he previously stated his decision to run was independent.

President Donald Trump called the situation voter fraud at the highest level in an online post. His Justice Department filed an amended complaint on Thursday, citing the new reporting as expanding its options for investigation. The department had previously asked a court to delay the certification of results if the incumbent loses by a small margin, citing potential voter confusion. Election law experts criticized that earlier legal effort as weak because the Constitution grants states primary control over elections.

Nate Adams, a spokesperson for Sen. Sullivan, stated that Peltola and her campaign had spent months denying a scheme they were actually running. State officials had previously probed the dual candidacy, and the Alaska Supreme Court ruled in June that the non-incumbent Sullivan could appear on the general election ballot. The ballot explicitly notes which Sullivan is the Republican incumbent.

Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, noted that campaign trickery is standard fare in modern politics. She said the internet makes it easy to spread such tactics and corrections. Some voters expressed skepticism that the two names would cause confusion, noting the state uses ranked-choice voting. Under that system, a confused voter could rank both Sullivans and leave Peltola unranked. Voters will also decide whether to keep the ranked-choice voting system on the same ballot.