&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Alaska Senate race: Trump accuses Democrats of running 'illegal scheme', seeks removal of Mary Peltola, ‘FAKE Dan Sullivan’")
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded that Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola and a rival sharing the name of Alaska's Republican incumbent be removed from next week's election ballot, accusing Democrats of running an illegal scheme to confuse voters. Trump's demand followed a New York Times investigation that reported Democratic operatives had secretly recruited so-called ‘spoiler’ candidates, including another Dan Sullivan, in an attempt to divert votes from Republican Senator Dan Sullivan.
"It has just been determined that the Democrats in Alaska illegally searched for, and recruited, a man named Dan Sullivan," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He accused Democrats of perjury, alleging they had made false statements under oath in federal court. Trump also demanded that the incumbent be allowed to contest the election without either Peltola or the ‘FAKE Dan Sullivan’ appearing on the ballot.
However, the Times noted that recruiting candidates to divide an opponent's vote, a practice known as ballot stacking, is generally legal and has been used by both political parties in Alaska. The investigation did not establish criminal wrongdoing or substantiate Trump's allegation of perjury. According to the newspaper, the effort involved senior aides and lawyers working for Peltola, along with officials from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC).
The Times cited interviews, dozens of text messages and documents prepared for a potential lawsuit against the campaign. One of the individuals reportedly recruited was Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from a remote Alaskan fishing community. He has maintained that he entered the race of his own accord. The newspaper identified Democratic operative Jerid Kurtz as a central figure in the effort, reporting that he travelled around Alaska under an assumed name to approach potential candidates.
The Times also reported that Kurtz encouraged a Democrat to withdraw from the race after the August primary, creating a place on the four-candidate ranked-choice ballot for Republican Gerald Heikes, who was also a recruit. Heikes told the newspaper that he had been recruited by a Midwesterner whom he did not believe resembled a photograph of Kurtz. Kurtz did not respond to the Times' requests for comment.
Peltola's former campaign manager, Elisa Rios, told the newspaper that the candidate was ‘definitely aware’ of the project but was not directly involved. She also said DSCC aides had introduced Kurtz to the campaign. Rios, who was fired in August and had been planning a wrongful termination lawsuit, later sought to retract her statements. The Times reported that her account was consistent with its other findings. Peltola's campaign and the DSCC have denied recruiting any candidates.
The revelations emerged days after Trump directed the Justice Department to sue Alaska over the presence of the second Sullivan on the ballot. The lawsuit seeks to delay certification if Peltola narrowly defeats the incumbent and votes cast for his namesake could have changed the result. In June, Alaska's Supreme Court upheld the retired teacher's right to run, rejecting Republican efforts to remove him from the ballot. The state has asked a federal judge to dismiss the Justice Department's lawsuit, arguing that it has no legal basis.
