Overview
- A New York Times story published Wednesday reported that Mary Peltola’s campaign told staff to “find as many people named Dan Sullivan as possible” and helped recruit a retired teacher, Dan J. Sullivan, to run as an independent.
- The report is based on a former campaign manager’s account, internal text messages and other sources and says staffers located the second Dan Sullivan in a remote fishing village.
- Peltola’s campaign has rejected the accusation of voter deception while polls reported this week show Peltola ahead of both Sullivans.
- Republicans have launched legal challenges and President Trump said the Justice Department filed a suit to prevent certification of a possible Peltola victory, turning the dispute into a court fight over the vote count.
- Because Alaska has about 740,000 residents, small vote shifts could tip the outcome and the result in Alaska may determine which party holds the Senate; courts and the certification process are the next developments to watch.