Governor orders state inquiry
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, announced Thursday that he is ordering an investigation into Democrat Mary Peltola's U.S. Senate campaign. The move follows a report that the campaign worked with allies to recruit a candidate with the same name as incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, in an effort to dilute his votes, NBC News reported.
In an overnight post on X, Dunleavy said the Department of Public Safety would seek to determine "whether this scheme violated Alaska's laws and whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted." He called Wednesday's New York Times report "disturbing new evidence" and said "the evidence will determine what happens next." He added that "anyone or any organization found to have broken the law must be held accountable."
What the Times reported
According to NBC News, the Times report describes alleged efforts by the Peltola campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to recruit a Senate candidate sharing the incumbent's name. The Times cited interviews with 12 people who were involved in the plan, were told about it, or were contacted as potential recruits. It also cited dozens of text messages among participants.
The report included information from Elisa Rios, Peltola's former campaign manager, who was fired in August. The Times said Rios later contacted the outlet and "retracted all statements made regarding the 2026 Alaska Senate Race." The Times also reported that she had been planning a wrongful termination lawsuit against the campaign but has not filed one.
The Times reported that Jerid Kurtz, a Democratic operative who reportedly helped recruit the challenger, did not respond to repeated requests for comment and made his social media accounts private. The Times did not report evidence that the second Sullivan was coerced, and he has said he entered the race of his own accord.
Denials and legal questions
A spokesperson for Peltola's campaign said the campaign "has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign," and pointed to instances of Republicans allegedly propping up "spoiler" candidates. A DSCC spokesperson said the committee "is not involved with Dan J. Sullivan" and argued that Republicans "have a long history of recruiting and propping up candidates in an attempt to boost their own campaigns." NBC News said it had also reached out to the Peltola campaign about the governor's announcement.
NBC News previously reported that people who recruited the challenger did not necessarily break the law. Stephen Richer, an NBC News election analyst, said participants could be legally in the clear if there was "no inducement, like money or threats" and the candidate ran "of his or her own volition, even if we don't agree with the reasons that the person is choosing to run."
NBC News also reported earlier that state and federal prosecutors in Alaska were investigating the second Sullivan's candidacy, and that a grand jury issued subpoenas in August for information from witnesses linked to his campaign.
Reaction from Washington
President Donald Trump called for Peltola and the challenger Sullivan to be "removed from the ballot and prosecuted." Asked Thursday whether Republicans should refuse to seat Peltola if she wins, he said, "you're going to have to see what happens," and called it "hard to believe that she could even be allowed to run."
Vice President JD Vance said "we should certainly look into whether she committed election fraud." He added that "whether it's criminal or not, she certainly has committed, I think, a great moral failing, and hopefully the voters of Alaska punish her."
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., said his panel is requesting transcribed interviews with Rios and Kurtz. In letters to them, he wrote that if they do not appear voluntarily, "we will be forced to evaluate the use of compulsory process." Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., called the reported effort "unprecedented" on Fox News. NBC News noted that both parties have a history of trying to prop up candidates who could draw votes from opponents. The Justice Department also filed a lawsuit last week seeking to block certification of the election if incumbent Sullivan loses.
