Alaska Governor Orders Investigation Into Senate Candidate Recruitment Scheme

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered an investigation on Wednesday into an alleged scheme involving the recruitment of a second candidate named Dan Sullivan to run in the state's closely watched United States Senate race.

The inquiry centers on allegations that aides to Democratic candidate Mary Peltola and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee worked to find a spoiler candidate to siphon votes from the incumbent Republican senator, Dan S. Sullivan.

The race is one of the most competitive contests in the midterm elections, potentially determining which political party gains control of the United States Senate, where Democrats currently hold 47 seats to the Republican majority's 53.

Republicans condemned the presence of the two candidates on the ballot, arguing that the maneuver is designed to confuse voters and cost the incumbent his re-election bid.

Nate Adams, a spokesperson for the incumbent senator's campaign, said, "Mary Peltola and her campaign have spent months gaslighting Alaskans, denying a scheme they were running all along."

Governor Dunleavy directed the Alaska Department of Public Safety to examine whether the candidate recruitment effort violated state laws and if criminal charges or civil action are warranted.

Representatives for Peltola strongly denied any involvement with the challenger, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher living in a remote fishing village who secured a spot on the general election ballot after a non-partisan primary.

A spokesperson for Peltola's campaign said, "The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign."

Monica Robinson, a spokesperson for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, also denied the committee's involvement with the non-incumbent candidate.

The Alaska Supreme Court previously ruled that the second Sullivan is legally qualified to appear on the ballot following an unsuccessful attempt by state election authorities to disqualify him before the August primary.

Election law experts noted that convincing an individual to run for public office generally does not constitute a crime, even if the candidate shares a name with a political incumbent.

President Donald Trump criticized the situation on social media, calling for Peltola to be barred from running and pointing to the report as evidence of election fraud.

The United States Department of Justice previously filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the certification of the election results if the Republican incumbent loses the contest.

Voters across the country will head to the polls on Tuesday to decide the control of Congress in the midterm elections.