Donald Trump demanded the removal of Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola from the ballot on Wednesday, accusing her campaign of orchestrating a scheme to confuse voters by recruiting a namesake of Republican Senator Dan Sullivan.
A *New York Times* report published the same day alleged that Peltola’s team and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spent months recruiting a second Dan Sullivan—a retired teacher from a small Alaskan fishing village—to run as an independent, alongside another candidate, Gerald Heikes. The goal, according to the report, was to siphon votes from the incumbent Republican Sullivan by exploiting the shared name.
Trump called the tactic “voter fraud at the highest level” in a Truth Social post, insisting Peltola and the imposter Sullivan should be “removed from the ballot and prosecuted.” The Justice Department had already filed a lawsuit to delay certification of Alaska’s Senate election if Republican Dan Sullivan narrowly loses, arguing the name similarity could mislead voters.
Former Peltola campaign manager Elisa Rios told the *Times* that Peltola was not directly involved but was “definitely aware” of the effort. Peltola’s campaign and the DSCC denied participation, stating they “had nothing to do with any of the Sullivan campaigns or the recruitment of any candidates.”
Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, who previously supported Peltola’s House campaigns, condemned the alleged maneuver, stating Alaskans “deserve the honest truth from Mary and her team.” Attorney General Todd Blanche told Fox News the Justice Department would take further action, calling the tactic an attempt to “confuse voters” rather than compete on policy.
The Alaska Supreme Court allowed the second Sullivan to remain on the ballot in June. Polls now show Peltola as a strong contender in the traditionally Republican state, with the November 3 midterms deciding control of the Senate.
