President Trump Urges Prosecution of Alaska Senate Candidate Amid Spoiler Candidate Allegations

• Trump demands criminal prosecution of Democrat Mary Peltola over claims she recruited a candidate sharing her Republican rival’s name
• Alaska Supreme Court affirms Dan J. Sullivan’s qualification for the ballot despite prior eligibility disputes

October 29, 2026

JUNEAU, Alaska: President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the criminal prosecution of Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola following revelations that her campaign may have recruited a candidate with the same name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. The contested race is a critical battleground in the push to control the U.S. Senate.

Trump previously directed the Department of Justice to file a lawsuit aiming to block certification of a potential Peltola victory in the Alaska race. “I think they should be prosecuted,” the former president stated regarding Peltola and an alternative candidate with the Sullivan name, addressing questions about a *New York Times* report. Earlier, he asserted on social media that Peltola “should suffer the Legal and Political consequences for what she has done.”

According to the *Times*, internal campaign messages discussed recruiting individuals named Sullivan to confuse voters. This led to retired Petersburg schoolteacher Dan J. Sullivan entering the race after passing the state’s August open primary. He is now one of four candidates on the ranked-choice ballot for Tuesday’s election.

Dan J. Sullivan has consistently denied coordination with Peltola’s campaign, stating in June, “Zero, none, zilch” to any contact with the Democratic campaign. His campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday from The Associated Press.

In response to allegations, Peltola’s campaign emphasized her commitment to Alaska voters: “Mary got in this race because Alaskans deserve a champion who is fighting to lower their costs and put Alaska first, and no tweet or threat from any DC politician will keep her away from that fight.” During a campaign stop in Soldotna, she dismissed the *Times* report as a “distraction” from pressing issues like Sen. Sullivan’s stance on Iran.

The controversy stems from a state election official’s earlier determination that Dan J. Sullivan was ineligible for the primary ballot, claiming his candidacy aimed to “confuse or mislead” and undermine ballot fairness. The Alaska Supreme Court reversed this decision, ruling he was qualified to run.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican and Peltola ally, criticized the situation, stating Alaskans “deserve the honest truth from Mary and her campaign — what has been revealed is a pattern of lies and coverups and a culture of deception that belongs nowhere in our elections or among our elected officials.” Nate Adams, Sullivan’s spokesperson, alleged Peltola’s team collaborated with Democratic strategists to recruit “Dan Sullivan” to “deliberately confuse and deceive voters.”

Peltola’s campaign reiterated it “has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign,” echoing a June statement denying wrongdoing after Sen. Sullivan questioned the alternative candidate’s eligibility. Democrats and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) have denied any scheme, though the *Times* reported DSCC staff communicated with Peltola’s team regarding the second Sullivan.

Legal experts noted the allegations may not affect a pending U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit Trump initiated, which seeks to halt ballot certification in a Peltola win. “It’s a dirty campaign trick… now it’s in the hands of the voters, not litigation,” said Notre Dame law professor Derek Muller.

The incident echoes prior controversies, including a 2024 case where a federal prisoner ran for Alaska’s U.S. House seat despite residency questions. The divided state Supreme Court allowed his candidacy, a precedent now repeated in the current election cycle.

The *Times* report draws from interviews with Peltola’s former campaign manager, Elisa Rios, fired in August amid staff changes. She reportedly attempted to retract comments later. AP efforts to contact Rios were unsuccessful.

As of Tuesday, over 61,000 votes had been cast in Alaska’s ranked-choice election, according to AP data. Incumbent Sullivan is listed as the Republican candidate, while the other Sullivan appears as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. with no party affiliation.

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