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NewsWSVN 7 News MiamiOctober 28, 2026Miami-Dade County

Report links Mary Peltola's campaign to efforts to place second Dan Sullivan on Alaska Senate ballot

Photo: WSVN 7 News Miami

Text messages obtained by The New York Times indicate that members of U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola's campaign discussed recruiting a retired schoolteacher named Dan J. Sullivan to run against incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. The candidate successfully secured a spot on the ranked-choice general election ballot after the Alaska Supreme Court overturned a state election official's ruling declaring him ineligible. Both Peltola's campaign and national Democratic organizations have denied involvement in the candidate's recruitment.

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Why It Matters

The inclusion of a second candidate sharing the incumbent's name has altered the dynamics of an Alaska U.S. Senate race that could influence partisan control of the chamber, prompting a federal lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Justice to contest certification of a potential Peltola victory.

Key Facts

  • A New York Times report revealed text messages showing members of Democrat Mary Peltola's campaign discussed placing a candidate with the same name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan on the ballot.
  • The campaign selected Dan J. Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher from Petersburg, who advanced through the state's August open primary to join the general election ballot.
  • A top state elections official initially ruled Dan J. Sullivan ineligible for filing with a purpose to confuse or mislead voters.
  • The Alaska Supreme Court ultimately ruled that Dan J. Sullivan was qualified to run, noting the U.S. Constitution sets only age, citizenship, and residency requirements for the Senate.
  • President Donald Trump directed the U.S. Department of Justice to file a lawsuit pre-emptively contesting a potential Peltola win and called for legal penalties against Democrats.
  • Peltola's campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have repeatedly denied any involvement in recruiting the second Sullivan candidate.
  • Dan J. Sullivan has consistently denied having contact with Peltola's campaign or running at Democrats' behest.
  • The report's disclosures are based in part on interviews with Elisa Rios, Peltola's former campaign manager who was fired in August.
  • As of Monday, 46,204 ballots had already been cast in Alaska according to Associated Press data.

Who's Mentioned

OrganizationDemocratic Senatorial Campaign Committee“National organization whose staffers were reportedly on text threads discussing ”OrganizationU.S. Department of Justice“Federal agency directed to file a lawsuit pre-emptively contesting a potential P”locationNew York“Location of a federal prison housing a separate candidate who appeared on past A”PersonElisa Rios“Peltola's former campaign manager whose interviews formed part of the Times repo”locationAlaska“State hosting the U.S. Senate race.”PersonMary Peltola“Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Alaska whose campaign was linked in a re”OrganizationAlaska Supreme Court“Court that ruled Dan J. Sullivan was qualified to run for office.”PersonDan J. Sullivan“Retired schoolteacher from Petersburg running in the U.S. Senate race with no pa”locationJUNEAU“City in Alaska where the report dateline is set.”PersonDerek Muller“Notre Dame law professor commenting on the ballot dispute.”PersonDonald Trump“U.S. President who directed the Department of Justice to file a lawsuit contesti”PersonNate Adams“Spokesperson for Sen. Sullivan's campaign.”OrganizationThe Associated Press“News agency reporting on the developments.”PersonDan Sullivan“Republican incumbent U.S. Senator for Alaska.”OrganizationAlaska Democratic Party“State party that previously sued to keep an unrelated candidate off the ballot i”locationPetersburg“Small fishing community in Alaska where Dan J. Sullivan resides.”OrganizationThe New York Times“Newspaper that published the report containing text messages about the campaign.”