Democrats Exposed in Alleged Scheme to Recruit Fake Dan Sullivan in Alaska Senate Race as President Trump Demands Accountability

A new report has linked Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign and national Democratic operatives to an effort to recruit a second candidate named Dan Sullivan in Alaska, raising serious questions about attempts to confuse voters in one of the country’s most closely watched Senate races.

The New York Times reported Wednesday that senior members of Peltola’s campaign discussed finding individuals who shared the name of Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and encouraging them to enter the race. The findings are based on internal text messages, campaign documents and interviews with people familiar with the operation.

The revelations come just days before the November 3 midterm elections, when Republican incumbent Dan S. Sullivan faces Peltola, a former Democratic congresswoman, in a contest that could affect control of the United States Senate.

At the center of the controversy is Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired schoolteacher from Petersburg, Alaska, who entered the race despite having little previous political experience. His appearance on the ballot alongside the incumbent Republican immediately raised concerns that voters could mistake one candidate for the other.

According to the report, members of Peltola’s campaign and officials associated with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee discussed recruiting candidates with the same name as the Republican senator. The communications reportedly included efforts to identify other Alaska residents named Dan Sullivan who might be willing to run.

The reporting contradicts the impression created by repeated Democratic denials of involvement in the unusual candidacy. However, Peltola’s campaign and the DSCC continue to deny coordinating with Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.’s campaign.

Elisa Rios, Peltola’s former campaign manager, provided information about the recruitment discussions to the Times. Rios was dismissed from the campaign in August during a leadership shake-up and reportedly attempted to retract her interview before publication.

The newspaper also obtained text messages supporting its account of discussions among Democratic campaign officials.

Republicans seized on the revelations as evidence that the second Sullivan’s candidacy was not simply a coincidence.

Nate Adams, a spokesperson for the incumbent senator’s campaign, accused Peltola and her associates of participating in a coordinated attempt to mislead Alaska voters.

“Alaskans deserve the truth,” Adams said, arguing that the Democratic campaign had concealed its involvement while publicly denying the allegations.

President Trump responded Wednesday by sharing the report on Truth Social and accusing Democrats of engaging in election fraud.

The president called for Peltola to face consequences over the alleged operation and questioned whether she should remain eligible to compete in the election.

“I don’t think Mary Peltola, after perpetrating such a terrible scheme, should be allowed to run,” President Trump wrote.

The president’s allegations have not resulted in a judicial finding that Peltola committed election fraud or violated federal election law.

The controversy has already generated a significant legal battle in Alaska.

State election officials initially attempted to disqualify Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. from the ballot, arguing that his candidacy appeared designed to confuse voters and compromise the fairness of the election.

Officials pointed to similarities between the two candidates’ names, the challenger’s original Republican affiliation and aspects of his campaign presentation.

The retired teacher challenged his removal, and the dispute eventually reached the Alaska Supreme Court.

The state’s highest court ruled that he was eligible to run, allowing his name to remain on the ballot.

The decision reflected the constitutional requirements governing eligibility for the United States Senate, which include age, citizenship and residency qualifications.

Despite the ruling, Republican officials continued questioning the circumstances surrounding his candidacy.

Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. has denied working with Peltola’s campaign. Earlier this year, he insisted that he had no contact with her political operation.

The latest reporting establishes that Democratic operatives discussed recruiting a candidate with the incumbent senator’s name, but it does not establish that the retired teacher personally coordinated with Peltola or knowingly participated in a deceptive arrangement.

Peltola’s campaign issued another denial Wednesday, maintaining that it had no involvement with either Sullivan campaign.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee similarly denied involvement with Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., despite the reported communications involving its personnel.

The organization also pointed to previous elections in which Republicans have been accused of recruiting alternative candidates to influence competitive races.

The revelations have intensified scrutiny of Alaska’s election system, which uses an open primary followed by ranked-choice voting in the general election.

Under that system, the top four primary candidates advance to November regardless of party affiliation. Voters can then rank the candidates in order of preference.

If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the lowest-performing candidate is eliminated and ballots are redistributed according to voters’ next preferences.

The process continues until a candidate receives a majority of the remaining votes.

Republicans argue that having two candidates with nearly identical names creates an unnecessary risk of voter confusion, particularly when the election could be decided by a narrow margin.

However, Alaska’s general election ballot distinguishes the two men.

The incumbent is identified as Dan S. Sullivan, a registered Republican and sitting senator. The challenger appears as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. without a party affiliation.

The ranked-choice system also allows voters to rank both candidates, potentially reducing the impact of votes initially cast for the wrong Sullivan.

The Trump administration has already taken legal action over the controversy.

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent Alaska from certifying a potential Peltola victory while questions about the second Sullivan’s candidacy remain unresolved.

President Trump previously acknowledged directing the department to pursue the case.

The lawsuit was filed before the election, making it an unusual attempt to address a possible future dispute over election certification.

Legal experts have questioned whether the new revelations will materially change the case.

Notre Dame law professor Derek Muller described the reported recruitment effort as an improper campaign tactic but suggested that the legal process had already established the challenger’s right to appear on the ballot.

The controversy also extends beyond the recruitment of a second Dan Sullivan.

According to the Times, Democratic operatives discussed the possibility of creating a right-wing political party to field another candidate. That proposal reportedly did not materialize.

The reporting also described efforts involving other candidates in the race, including discussions surrounding a Democrat who advanced through the August primary but subsequently withdrew.

The allegations have added another layer of controversy to an election already attracting national attention.

Sullivan is seeking a third term in the Senate, while Peltola is attempting to return to Washington after previously representing Alaska in the House.

Republicans currently hold a 53-47 Senate majority, making competitive races such as Alaska important to both parties’ efforts to control the chamber.

Peltola’s campaign has emphasized affordability and economic issues, while Sullivan has highlighted his record in Congress and his support for President Trump’s policies.

The latest report threatens to shift attention away from those policy differences and toward questions about the conduct of Democratic campaign operatives.

The allegations are particularly significant because Peltola’s campaign repeatedly denied involvement in the second Sullivan’s candidacy before the publication of the internal communications.

While those denials remain in place, the documented recruitment discussions have provided Republicans with new evidence supporting their longstanding suspicions.

As of Monday, more than 46,000 ballots had already been cast in Alaska, meaning the controversy emerged after voting was underway.

With Election Day approaching, election officials must administer the ballot as approved by the courts unless a new legal order requires otherwise.

The immediate question is whether the revelations will prompt further investigations into the recruitment operation and whether any laws were violated.

For now, the report has exposed discussions among Democratic operatives about placing another Dan Sullivan in the race, while leaving unresolved the extent of Peltola’s personal knowledge and the challenger’s involvement.

President Trump and Republican officials are demanding accountability, arguing that voters deserve a full explanation of how the unusual candidacy developed.

The controversy ensures that Alaska’s Senate race will face heightened scrutiny as voters prepare to choose between the incumbent Republican, Peltola and the other candidates appearing on November’s ballot.