US President Donald Trump has called for Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola to be removed from Alaska's ballot, according to NOS. His demand followed a New York Times article reporting that Peltola and the national Democratic campaign apparatus worked to complicate the re-election bid of the sitting Republican senator.
In a post on social media, Trump described the alleged effort as "a terrible plan" by Alaska Democrats and labeled it "election fraud." He wrote that Democrats had gone "illegally searching" for another Dan Sullivan "with the aim of manipulating, confusing and muddying the elections," NOS reports.
Why it matters
The dispute centers on a ballot quirk in a race that could help decide which party controls the Senate after the midterms on 3 November. Polls suggest the contest is close, and NOS reports that Alaska is expected to play a significant role in the outcome.
Two candidates on the Alaska ballot carry nearly identical names. The incumbent Republican senator is Dan S. Sullivan, while another Republican, Dan J. Sullivan, is running as an independent. The second Sullivan is unlikely to win, but he could draw votes away from the sitting senator.
Trump had already raised concerns about the shared name before the NYT article appeared. According to NOS, he tried in advance to block the Alaska result through a lawsuit in case the incumbent Republican loses, and he has said he doubts voters will identify the correct Republican candidate on the ballot.
What the newspaper reported
The New York Times reported that Peltola and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) — the body responsible for strategy and fundraising for Democratic Senate candidates nationwide — deliberately looked for candidates named Dan Sullivan.
According to the newspaper, a Democratic campaign strategist persuaded a retired teacher, Republican Dan J. Sullivan, to enter the race. The strategist was recruiting so-called "spoiler candidates" so that votes would be spread across several Republican candidates. NOS reports that he traveled around the state approaching potential Republican Senate candidates, including over a beer in an Irish pub, and that this is how the second Dan Sullivan was recruited.
Peltola and the DSCC deny the allegations. Dan J. Sullivan, the retired teacher, has consistently denied that he is running to hinder his namesake. The New York Times says it based its account on text messages, documents and statements from sources including a dismissed campaign manager, and concluded that party leaders were aware of and actively involved in the effort to influence the ballot.
The newspaper also noted that recruiting candidates to weaken an opponent is not illegal. Similar tactics have been used in recent years by both Democrats and Republicans, including in Alaska, according to NOS. The NYT article presents the episode as an illustration of how far Democrats will go to secure a Senate majority.
The race is being watched closely as both parties compete for control of the Senate in the midterms. What to watch next: whether Peltola responds directly to Trump's demand, and how the Alaska contest and the legal challenge Trump prepared in advance develop before election day.
