46,204 ballots cast as Alaska Senate race heads to Tuesday vote
Text messages suggest the Peltola campaign recruited a second Dan Sullivan for the ballot, a move that has drawn legal challenges and presidential attention.
By Olivia Miller ·
The general election for the U.S. Senate seat in Alaska will take place next Tuesday, with 46,204 ballots already cast as of Monday. The race features two candidates named Dan Sullivan on the ranked-choice ballot, a situation that has triggered legal disputes and national political scrutiny.
The New York Times reported Wednesday that it obtained text messages between members of Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign. These messages discuss efforts to recruit individuals with the same name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. The campaign selected Dan J. Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher from the fishing community of Petersburg, for the ballot.
Dan J. Sullivan passed the state’s open primary in August. He is listed as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. with no party affiliation. The incumbent, Dan Sullivan, is listed as the Republican candidate. A top state elections official initially ruled the challenger ineligible, arguing his filing was intended to confuse voters. The Alaska Supreme Court overturned that decision, ruling he was qualified to run under the U.S. Constitution.
Dan J. Sullivan has stated he had no contact with Peltola’s campaign. He described the connection as zero, none, and zilch in a June interview. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday from The Associated Press.
President Donald Trump directed the Department of Justice to file a lawsuit last week. The suit seeks to halt the certification of a potential Peltola win, citing the presence of the second Dan Sullivan on the ballot. On Wednesday, Trump wrote on his social media site that Mary Peltola should suffer legal and political consequences for the situation.
Nate Adams, a spokesperson for Sen. Dan Sullivan’s campaign, said Alaskans deserve the truth. He accused Peltola, her advisers, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee of colluding to recruit candidates to deceive voters.
Peltola’s campaign issued a statement Wednesday saying it has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign. The campaign made a similar claim in June. The DSCC also stated Wednesday that it is not involved with Dan J. Sullivan. The Times report notes that DSCC staffers were included in text messages with the Peltola campaign regarding the second Sullivan.
Legal experts say the text messages will not alter the Department of Justice lawsuit. Derek Muller, a law professor at Notre Dame, called the recruitment a dirty campaign trick. He noted that the matter is now in the hands of voters rather than litigation.
The Times story relies partly on interviews with Elisa Rios, Peltola’s former campaign manager. Rios was fired in August during a campaign reorganization. The newspaper reported she attempted to retract her comments last week. The Associated Press was unable to reach her immediately on Wednesday.
Alaska has a history of contested ballot access. In 2024, the state Democratic Party sued to remove a federal prisoner from the U.S. House ballot. A divided state Supreme Court allowed him to stay. He is running again this year and appears on the November 3 ranked-choice general election ballot.
