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Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola has denied any involvement in an alleged scheme to influence the Alaska Senate election by recruiting a candidate with a similar name to Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. Speaking to voters in Juneau on Thursday (October 29), Peltola stated, "I knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent. That is all I have ever known about," according to Alaska Beacon.
The controversy arose after a New York Times report suggested that operatives connected to Peltola's campaign and national Democrats worked to recruit Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher, to confuse voters. Peltola insisted she was not interested in tricking voters and expressed confidence in her ability to win against the incumbent.
The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into the matter, with Michael Heyman, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska, confirming a "significant surge of law enforcement assets to Alaska," as reported by CP24. The Justice Department has also filed a lawsuit seeking to isolate ballots ranking Dan J. Sullivan to investigate potential voter confusion.
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has ordered a separate investigation into the allegations. Meanwhile, the Alaska Democratic Party has sued state elections officials over absentee voting site issues in rural areas, according to Alaska Beacon.
Peltola's campaign has denied any involvement with the recruitment of Dan J. Sullivan, and the candidate himself has denied running at the behest of Democrats. The situation remains tense as the election approaches, with legal challenges and investigations ongoing.