Alaska Senate Race: Governor Orders Probe After Spoiler Report

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered the Department of Public Safety to investigate the state’s U.S. Senate race on Wednesday night. The directive came in response to a New York Times report alleging that Democratic operatives worked to recruit a non-incumbent candidate named Dan Sullivan. The governor asked investigators to determine if the scheme violated state laws and whether criminal or civil action is warranted.

The Senate seat is considered a toss-up, with incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan facing former congresswoman Mary Peltola. The outcome will determine which party controls the chamber next year. The non-incumbent Sullivan, who shares the incumbent’s name, advanced to the general election after Alaska’s nonpartisan primary sent the top four vote-getters to the fall ballot. The Alaska Supreme Court ruled in June that the second Sullivan could appear on the ballot.

The New York Times based its story on interviews and communications among Peltola’s attorneys, advisers, and senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. The report suggested Democratic efforts to siphon support from the GOP incumbent by confusing voters with a candidate of the same name. Peltola’s campaign and the DSCC reiterated long-held denials of involvement after the story published.

Peltola called the reporting a distraction while campaigning on Wednesday. The non-incumbent Sullivan did not respond to requests for comment from Alaska Public Media. He has previously stated that running for Senate was his own decision. Republicans reacted quickly to the news. Nate Adams, a spokesperson for Sen. Sullivan, said in a statement that Peltola and her campaign spent months denying a scheme they were running all along. President Trump posted online that the situation constitutes voter fraud at the highest level.

The Justice Department had already sought to intervene in the race. Last week, the department asked a court to delay certification if Sullivan lost by a small margin, citing potential voter confusion. Election law experts criticized that initial legal effort as weak, noting that the Constitution grants states control over elections. On Thursday, Justice Department officials said the New York Times story expands its options for investigating the race. The department filed an amended complaint citing the new reporting.

Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told NPR that such tricks are standard fare in campaigns. She noted that the internet makes it easy to spread information about both the trick and its correction. Some voters compared the situation to Republican spending in support of a Democrat who is a federal prisoner in New York but appears on Alaska’s U.S. House ballot.

The ballot notes which Sullivan is the Republican incumbent. Experts pointed out that the news cycle regarding the second Sullivan’s candidacy could reduce voter confusion. Because Alaska uses ranked-choice voting for the general election, confused voters could rank both Sullivans and leave Peltola unranked. A measure to keep the state’s unique election system is also on the ballot.