Alaska’s Senate race has erupted into a bizarre battle over ballot confusion as Democratic candidate Mary Peltola condemns deceptive tactics that could cost the incumbent his seat.
Peltola Campaign Accused of Ballot‑Spoiling Scheme
Peltola declared that buying or misleading voters should be a criminal offense, a stance she reiterated after a New York Times investigation uncovered a coordinated effort to place a second Dan Sullivan on the ballot.
The campaign allegedly hired a staff member to scour voter records for every Alaska resident named Dan Sullivan, then recruited a retired teacher from a remote fishing village to run as a spoiler candidate.
Dan J. Sullivan, the teacher, announced his candidacy this spring, creating the potential for voter confusion with the incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan.
Elisa Rios, Peltola’s former campaign manager, told the Times that the campaign knew about the scheme and that voters deserve a full picture before deciding.
Rios later asked the Times to retract her previous statements, but the newspaper said it would include the remarks because they were consistent with its reporting and no lawsuit had been filed.
According to the Times, the operation began in summer 2025, when DSCC and Peltola aides coordinated with a Democratic operative, Jerid Kurtz, who described himself as a specialist in secret ballot maneuvers.
Kurtz told Rios and Peltola chief of staff Anton McParland that he had contacted a Dan Sullivan living in Petersburg, who said he hated Trump and would support Peltola if it helped her campaign.
The retired teacher entered the race voluntarily, but text messages obtained by the Times show DSCC and Peltola officials celebrating when an Alaska court allowed the other Dan Sullivan to remain on the ballot.
Federal Election Commission filings indicate that the pro‑Peltola super PAC 49th State PAC paid Wingspan Strategies, a firm co‑owned by Kurtz, $87,000 this fall, a sum the PAC claims it never hired Kurtz to perform.
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the conduct “should be illegal” even if current law does not classify it as fraud, calling the scheme “insane.”
Legal experts note that Alaska’s four‑person ballot makes it easy for voters to mistakenly select the wrong Dan Sullivan, a flaw the campaign appears to have exploited deliberately.
Alaskans have voiced outrage over the alleged manipulation, hoping the electorate will reject the deceptive tactic at the polls.
