Alaska investigates Peltola after report on duplicate senator name

Alaska state troopers are investigating Democratic Senate challenger Mary Peltola after a New York Times report alleged her campaign recruited a man with the same name as Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan to run for office. Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered the state to examine the matter on Wednesday, seeking to determine if the actions violated state law or warrant criminal charges.

The investigation comes four days before the election. Dunleavy posted on social media that anyone found to have broken the law must be held accountable. President Donald Trump also called for Peltola to be removed from the ballot and prosecuted, labeling the situation voter fraud. He used the term in a social media post, though the U.S. government defines voter fraud as illegally casting a vote in the name of a dead person or someone who has moved.

A New York Times report attributed to 12 former campaign staffers and former manager Elisa Rios stated that Peltola's team tried to recruit people named Dan Sullivan to run since summer 2025. The goal was to confuse voters. Peltola's campaign denied involvement in the Dan J. Sullivan campaign. A spokesperson wrote that the Alaskans for Mary campaign had no involvement with either Sullivan campaign.

Austin McDaniel, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, said state troopers are committed to enforcing election integrity laws. He noted that they will work with the Alaska Department of Law to examine the facts. McDaniel added that Alaskans deserve fact-based answers as the investigation progresses.

Elections attorney Scott Kendall said that if the reported details are accurate and no other information emerges, the state has no grounds for charges under Alaska election offenses. He described the tactic as abhorrent but legally distinct from illegal coercion or bribery. Rep. Andrew Gray, the House Judiciary Chair, called the investigation baseless and political, noting the issue was litigated in June when the state briefly removed Dan J. Sullivan from the ballot.

The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on Wednesday asking the state not to certify the election due to voter confusion. The suit cites the National Voter Registration Act. Kendall predicted the case would be dismissed soon. Allan Lichtman, a history scholar, said planting a candidate is not rare in politics. He noted that Dan J. Sullivan's entry had zero impact on the results based on his analysis.

Amber Lee, a political consultant, worked for Dan J. Sullivan's candidacy and has supported Peltola. The 907 Initiative, where Lee sits on the board, stated it had no involvement in Sullivan's run. Dan J. Sullivan did not respond to a phone call on Thursday.