Alaska Governor Orders Inquiry Into Alleged Ballot Spoiler Scheme Following Media Report

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has ordered an investigation following a New York Times report detailing an alleged political scheme involving the recruitment of a candidate with a nearly identical name to an incumbent U.S. senator. Governor Dunleavy stated that the published findings substantially support prior conclusions from the Alaska Division of Elections, which investigated similar concerns earlier in the year.

The Republican governor announced that he directed the Department of Public Safety to determine whether the alleged actions violated Alaska laws and if criminal charges or civil enforcement are warranted. Dunleavy emphasized that voters possess a fundamental right to support their intended candidates and that intentional voter deception undermines electoral integrity.

According to the New York Times report, titled "Inside Democrats’ Secret Effort to Stack Alaska’s Ballot," campaign staff associated with Democratic Representative Mary Peltola and other operatives worked to recruit candidates, including a retired teacher named Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr., to run in the U.S. Senate race against incumbent Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan. The report indicated that the effort aimed to dilute the incumbent's support.

Incumbent Senator Dan S. Sullivan characterized the alleged ballot arrangement as a significant scandal during a media interview, stating that his opponent lacked a substantive record and had failed to issue an apology. The senator also pointed to a federal lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice on October 22, which seeks to delay election certification if votes cast for the similarly named candidate could have altered the outcome pending an investigation.

In response to the initial report, the Alaskans for Mary campaign issued a statement denying any involvement with either Sullivan campaign or the recruitment of candidates into the contest. The campaign did not immediately respond to subsequent requests for comment.