Addressing the controversial appearance of a second candidate named Dan Sullivan on the ballot for Senate in his state, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) told NewsNation, “We’re going to investigate if we find out there’s wrongdoing… And if that means that the certification then is stopped or changed, then that’s what happens.”
Dunleavy said the state’s review could affect the Senate result, and that if it uncovers illegal actions, “that may, in fact, impact whether somebody is seated in the U.S. Senate.” He added, “We’re going to follow the law.”
The controversy concerns a second candidate named Dan Sullivan on the ballot against incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic nominee Mary Peltola. The New York Times reported this week that Peltola campaign staffers were told to “find as many people named Dan Sullivan in Alaska as you can,” ahead of the race.
Will Republican Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy certify Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola if she wins? The governor addresses the ballot-stacking investigation and answers a key question about the election’s outcome. @BlakeBurman https://t.co/4AKhlCoogA
— NewsNation (@NewsNation) October 29, 2026
Dunleavy said in the New York Times account, “If it leads to criminal charges, we don’t care who that is, we don’t care if it’s a candidate.” He called the situation “a dog’s breakfast” and said Peltola’s role was “hugely problematic” for her.
Rep. James Comer (R-KY), the House Oversight chairman, said, “Democrats schemed to rig the U.S. Senate election in Alaska by deliberately confusing voters.”
Peltola, at a Juneau rally Thursday, said, “I knew nothing about any other candidate on the ballot except for me and the incumbent.” She added, “I am not interested in tricking voters.”
Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola denied any involvement in an alleged effort to confuse voters by recruiting a candidate with the same name as her Republican opponent, Sen. Dan Sullivan.
Speaking at a rally in Juneau on Thursday, Peltola said she “knew nothing about” the other candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan, and insisted she was “not interested in tricking voters.”
The controversy erupted after a New York Times report linked operatives aligned with Peltola’s campaign to the recruitment of the second Sullivan. The Justice Department has since launched a criminal investigation and filed a lawsuit seeking to potentially block certification of the election results if voter confusion contributes to a loss for the Republican incumbent.
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 30, 2026
Peltola allies including former Alaska AFL-CIO president Joelle Hall responded, “there’s nothing illegal about it.”
Justin Levitt, a Loyola Law School professor and former Justice Department attorney, said, “I’m not familiar with any state law that makes it illegal to try to get somebody to run for office.”
And Benjamin Ginsberg, a Republican election lawyer, told the Times, “It’s performance art this close to the election.”
[NOTE: In June, the Alaska Supreme Court allowed the second Dan Sullivan’s name to remain on the ballot. The court sent the case back to the Division of Elections, which decided to identify the challenger’s name as “Sullivan, Daniel James Jr. (Nonpartisan)” while listing the senator as “Sullivan, Dan (Registered Republican) Incumbent.”]