JUNEAU, Alaska (Diya TV) — Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola has denied knowing about an alleged effort to recruit a second candidate named Dan Sullivan into Alaska’s Senate race. The controversy has drawn national attention as the Justice Department expands its criminal investigation and Republican officials raise concerns about possible voter confusion ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Speaking to voters Thursday, Peltola said she knew nothing about any candidate other than herself and Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan. She also rejected suggestions that she wanted to mislead voters.

“I just want to clear the air,” Peltola said. “I knew nothing about any other candidate on the ballot except for the incumbent and me. That is all I have ever known about. I am not interested in tricking voters.”

Her comments come amid growing scrutiny of the Alaska Senate race, where two candidates share the name Dan Sullivan. Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan is seeking re-election, while independent candidate Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from a remote Alaska fishing village, is also running for the seat.

The unusual situation has raised questions about whether the second candidate’s name could confuse voters and affect the outcome of the closely watched contest.

According to a report published by The New York Times on Wednesday, people connected to Peltola’s campaign and senior officials at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) allegedly worked to recruit Dan J. Sullivan into the race. The report suggested that the effort aimed to attract votes away from the Republican incumbent.

The newspaper said it reviewed text messages and interviewed 12 people who either participated in the alleged effort, learned about it, or received recruitment requests. However, the BBC said it could not independently verify the reporting.

Peltola’s campaign has denied involvement in the recruitment effort. Dan J. Sullivan has also rejected claims that he coordinated with Democrats or entered the race at their request.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department has stepped up its investigation into the alleged recruitment effort. According to reports from CBS News, federal investigators have started issuing subpoenas to Democratic officials believed to have links to the effort.

The subpoenas seek information and documents that could help investigators understand how Dan J. Sullivan entered the race. Authorities have not publicly identified all the people targeted by the investigation.

Reuters also reported that investigators issued more than 40 subpoenas and document preservation requests. These requests reportedly involved both Peltola’s campaign and the campaign of Dan J. Sullivan.

Despite the growing investigation, authorities had filed no criminal charges against anyone as of Friday morning. The precise scope of the criminal probe also remains unclear.

In addition, the Justice Department has amended a federal lawsuit it filed last week. The lawsuit seeks to prevent officials from certifying the election results if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses under circumstances that the administration claims could involve voter confusion.

The department’s latest filing cited sections of The New York Times report and referenced the investigation ordered by Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

Alaska’s Republican governor, Mike Dunleavy, has also ordered a separate state investigation into the allegations.

Earlier this week, Dunleavy directed state authorities to examine whether the reported recruitment effort violated Alaska law. The investigation will also consider whether the matter warrants criminal charges or civil action.

Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and his allies have accused Democrats of attempting to confuse voters by putting another candidate with the same name on the ballot. However, Dan J. Sullivan has maintained that he is running independently.

The controversy has also drawn attention from President Donald Trump and other Republican officials, who have criticized Peltola over the allegations. Meanwhile, her campaign has rejected claims of wrongdoing.

The dispute comes at a critical moment in the 2026 midterm election campaign. Alaska’s Senate contest ranks among the most closely watched races because its outcome could influence which party controls the U.S. Senate.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report currently rates the contest as a toss-up. As a result, both parties are closely watching developments in the state.

With Election Day approaching, the investigation and legal battle have added another layer of uncertainty to the campaign. However, the allegations remain unproven, and no criminal charges have been filed.

President Trump is also preparing for campaign appearances in Kansas and Iowa on Sunday. His rallies will come during the final weekend of campaigning, as candidates across the country make their closing appeals to voters.