Alaska Governor Orders Election Probe
Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan alleges Democratic rival Mary Peltola recruited a same-name candidate to split the vote.
By Talia Bennett ·
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has ordered a criminal investigation into the state Senate race. The probe aims to determine if laws were broken in the recruitment of a second candidate named Dan Sullivan.
Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan accused his Democratic opponent, Mary Peltola, of trying to confuse voters. On CNN's State of the Union, Sullivan argued that Peltola treats Alaskan voters with disdain. He cited a New York Times report claiming her campaign and national Democrats recruited a retired schoolteacher named Dan J. Sullivan to run as a spoiler.
Peltola denied any involvement in the plot. In a PBS interview, she said she honestly has no idea about the recruitment efforts. She labeled the media attention a distraction from high prices caused by the war in Iran.
The Alaska race is considered a toss-up. Recent polls show Peltola holding a slight lead. Democrats need to flip four seats to gain a majority in the upper chamber.
Sullivan maintained that his campaign focuses on lowering costs and fixing systemic problems in Washington, D.C. Alaskans continue to cast their votes in the closely watched election.
