Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy orders probe into Democratic campaign's candidate strategy

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy on Wednesday ordered the state Department of Public Safety to investigate a possible scheme that placed two candidates named Dan Sullivan on the ballot for the U.S. Senate race. The probe follows a New York Times report that said aides to Democratic nominee Mary Peltola worked with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to recruit a second Dan Sullivan – a retired teacher from a remote fishing village – as a “spoiler” candidate against incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. The governor’s X post said the investigation would determine whether any Alaska laws were broken.

The story emerged just days before the November 5 midterm elections, in a race analysts deem one of the nation’s tightest Senate contests. The New York Times article cited text messages and interviews with a dozen people who said they were asked to run or knew of the plan to split the Republican vote. The alleged effort fits a broader pattern of parties fielding third‑party or lesser‑known candidates to dilute an opponent’s support. Earlier this year the Alaska Division of Elections flagged concerns about the two Sullivan names on the ballot, prompting heightened scrutiny as voters prepare to head to the polls.

Both the Peltola campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee denied any involvement. “The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign,” the Peltola team said in a statement. Incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan called the allegations “a scandal of the highest order” and urged Peltola to “come clean.” Fellow Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski accused the Democrats of a “pattern of lies,” and former President Donald Trump publicly called for Peltola to be barred from the race. The ballot will list the incumbent as Dan S. Sullivan and the teacher as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a situation that could confuse voters.

The governor’s order gives the Department of Public Safety a few weeks to decide if criminal charges or civil action are warranted. If prosecutors find evidence of illegal coordination, the second Sullivan could be removed from the ballot, reshaping the final stretch of the campaign. Even if no charges follow, the investigation adds a new layer of uncertainty to a race that could decide which party controls the Senate, and it highlights growing concerns about election‑law enforcement in closely contested races.