Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has ordered a state investigation into an alleged political scheme that resulted in two candidates named Dan Sullivan appearing on the ballot for the state’s U.S. Senate race.
The Republican governor announced the probe in response to reporting by The New York Times, which detailed efforts by aides to Democratic candidate Mary Peltola and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) to recruit spoiler candidates. The report alleges operatives worked to persuade a retired teacher, also named Dan Sullivan, to enter the race against the incumbent Republican senator of the same name.
In a post on X, Dunleavy stated he was directing the Department of Public Safety to determine whether the alleged scheme violated state laws and whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted. He did not specify which statutes might have been breached.
Senator Dan Sullivan, who is seeking re-election, and his allies have accused Democrats of attempting to confuse voters. The Peltola campaign has denied any wrongdoing, stating they did not encourage the second Dan Sullivan—a resident of a remote fishing village—to run. The teacher has also denied any coordination with the Peltola campaign.
The contest is widely viewed by analysts as one of the most competitive Senate races in the upcoming midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. Dunleavy noted that the Times reporting corroborated findings by the state Division of Elections earlier this year.
“The evidence will determine what happens next,” the governor wrote.
According to The New York Times, text messages and interviews with a dozen individuals indicate that operatives connected to Peltola and the DSCC sought to recruit the teacher and other potential spoiler candidates to dilute support for the incumbent senator. The BBC has not independently verified the newspaper’s reporting.