Alaska’s Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy has formally authorized a state-level probe into alleged coordinated efforts to manipulate the state’s high-stakes U.S. Senate race, acting on findings first published in a New York Times investigative report. The controversy centers on the unusual presence of two candidates bearing the name Dan Sullivan on the upcoming midterm ballot: incumbent Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan, and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher residing in a remote Alaskan fishing village.
According to the New York Times’ account, which cites reviewed text message records and interviews with 12 individuals with direct or indirect knowledge of the arrangement, associates linked to Democratic House incumbent Mary Peltola’s Senate campaign, alongside senior staff at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), actively recruited the retired educator to enter the race as a purported moderate Republican. The stated goal of the effort, per the report, was to split conservative voter support and dilute the incumbent Dan Sullivan’s ballot share in one of the most competitive Senate contests in the 2026 U.S. midterm cycle, which will determine partisan control of Congress for the final two years of former President Donald Trump’s current term.
All parties named in the allegations have categorically denied any improper conduct. Peltola’s official campaign has issued repeated statements asserting it had no contact whatsoever with the retired Dan Sullivan, and the DSCC has similarly rejected claims of involvement in any recruitment scheme. The retired teacher himself, in limited prior comments to the New York Times, confirmed he previously voted for Peltola in past elections but insisted he is running a genuine, good-faith moderate campaign with no ties to Democratic operatives.
Prior attempts by state Republican actors to remove the retired Sullivan from the ballot were unanimously struck down by the Alaska Supreme Court earlier this year. Governor Dunleavy’s official directive, which does not explicitly name the Peltola campaign, notes that the New York Times’ reporting corroborates preliminary observations previously flagged by Alaska’s state Division of Elections. The governor has formally tasked the Alaska Department of Public Safety with leading the full investigation to assess whether any state election laws were violated, and to determine if criminal prosecution or civil legal action is merited based on collected evidence.
Former President Donald Trump has amplified the allegations across his Truth Social platform, calling for Peltola to be entirely barred from the midterm ballot while reaffirming his full endorsement of incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan, whom he described as a dedicated public servant who consistently delivers for Alaskan constituents. The Trump administration previously filed a pre-emptive legal motion that would block certification of the Alaska Senate race results if the Trump-endorsed incumbent loses, citing voter confusion risks stemming from the two identically named candidates appearing on the ballot. The high-stakes legal and investigative battle threatens to delay the full nationwide tabulation of midterm results, with control of both chambers of Congress hanging in the balance as American voters head to polling stations nationwide on Election Day. Notably, Peltola temporarily suspended her campaign schedule earlier this week to recover from minor injuries sustained alongside her family in a recent car collision.
Alaska governor orders probe into Democratic campaign’s alleged links to rival candidate
