ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Diya TV) — Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has directed the state Department of Public Safety to investigate whether Mary Peltola’s Senate campaign or its allies broke election laws by helping recruit a candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. The candidate shares a name with Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, whom Peltola is challenging.
Dunleavy announced the probe after new reporting described text messages and interviews that allegedly linked Peltola campaign operatives, the campaign’s lawyers and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to efforts to recruit candidates with names similar to Sullivan’s. The reported strategy aimed to divide Republican support. Dunleavy said investigators should determine whether the effort violated Alaska law and whether civil or criminal action is warranted.
The claims remain disputed. Peltola’s campaign said it had no involvement with either Sullivan campaign. Sullivan Jr. has also denied contact with Peltola’s campaign and said he was not recruited by Democrats. Peltola called the latest coverage a distraction from issues such as costs and Sen. Sullivan’s positions.
The controversy began in June, when Alaska election officials removed Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher from Petersburg, from the ballot. The state Division of Elections said he had filed to run with the purpose of confusing voters because he shared the incumbent’s name and had registered as a Republican. Sullivan Jr. challenged the decision. The Alaska Supreme Court ordered the state to put him on the ballot, finding that officials could distinguish the two candidates instead of excluding him.
The ballot identifies the senator as “Dan S. Sullivan,” a registered Republican and incumbent. It lists the challenger as “Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.” without a party affiliation. The Senate contest also includes Peltola and Republican Gerald Heikes. Alaska uses ranked-choice voting in the general election.
The Justice Department has separately sued Alaska election officials, asking a federal judge to block certification if Sen. Sullivan loses and the second Sullivan’s votes could have changed the result. The state argues the federal government lacks authority to interfere and that determining voter intent would conflict with ballot secrecy. A federal judge set an expedited schedule for the case.
President Donald Trump has publicly called for Peltola and her campaign to face prosecution. Vice President JD Vance has also backed an investigation. Those demands do not establish that Peltola or her campaign violated the law; Dunleavy’s probe and the Justice Department lawsuit remain separate proceedings.
The allegations have landed less than a week before Election Day in a race that could help determine control of the Senate. The probe will test whether investigators can substantiate the reported recruitment effort and whether that conduct violated state law. The court case, meanwhile, could determine whether federal officials can challenge Alaska’s certification process based on possible voter confusion.
