NYT reports Peltola campaign aides sought a second "Dan Sullivan" for Alaska Senate ballot

Right · 1The New York Times published a report on Wednesday 28 October titled "Inside Democrats' Secret Effort to Stack Alaska's Ballot", describing efforts by aides to Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola to find people named Dan Sullivan to add to Alaska's ballot and "dilute the incumbent's support". 1 Right · 1The Times reported that in summer 2025 a Peltola staffer was told to find as many people named Dan Sullivan in Alaska as possible, and that the effort ended with Dan J. Sullivan, a Republican candidate, appearing on the ballot alongside incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK). 1 Right · 1According to the report, the campaign has "repeatedly denied any involvement in his candidacy" despite text messages and documents detailing its efforts to recruit Dan J. Sullivan; the Washington Examiner says the Peltola campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) denied involvement. 1 2

Right · 1The Examiner's account of the Times report says a former Peltola campaign manager was the original source, that the effort was allegedly coordinated with lawyers from the Elias Group law firm and senior DSCC aides, and that the former manager later tried to recant the account. 2 Right · 1Republicans had worried about the race after Dan J. Sullivan won 2.5% in the primary, arguing the shared name could confuse voters in a tight contest; Alaska's ranked choice system advances four primary finishers to the general election, where voters rank them. 1 Right · 1The Department of Justice sued on 23 October to block certification of Alaska's results if "voter confusion" distorts the outcome; the general election is on 3 November. 1

Right · 1Washington Examiner chief political correspondent Byron York, on Fox News's The Ingraham Angle, called the Times story's first sentence "really devastating", said the campaign tried to mislead voters, predicted the tactic would spread especially under ranked choice voting, and said it needs to be determined whether it was legal. 1 Right · 1Examiner investigations editor Sarah Bedford, on The Hugh Hewitt Show, called the story "not that surprising, but also completely shocking" and said she was surprised the Times "didn't pull their punches". 2 Right · 1In a post quoted on Reason's Volokh Conspiracy, UCLA election law professor Rick Hasen called the story, if true, "a political bombshell" but doubted the tactic would work, since voters can rank both Sullivans. 3

Right · 1Hasen said the story has no bearing on the DOJ suit, which he expects to fail, though he noted DOJ now supports DSCC intervention to obtain discovery on a possible "conspiracy"; he said perjury would require evidence someone lied under oath, and he saw no basis for criminalizing running with impure motives, citing the Times's note that ballot-stacking is common and generally legal. 3