Alaska governor orders probe into election same-name ‘spoiler’

Alaska’s governor, Mike Dunleavy, has directed an investigation into claims that the Democratic Senate candidate, Mary Peltola, enlisted a man with the same name as her Republican opponent, Dan Sullivan, to run in the election. The tactic, dubbed a “spoiler candidate” by Dunleavy, allegedly aimed to dilute votes and mislead voters.

Governor Dunleavy described the alleged scheme as an attempt to manipulate the election and compromise voter integrity, ordering the Department of Public Safety to investigate whether it violated Alaska's laws and to determine if criminal or civil action should be taken. The New York Times reported that Peltola's aides had secretly recruited a “spoiler” candidate, including one with the same name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan.

President Donald Trump also called for Peltola and the alleged “FAKE Dan Sullivan” to be removed from the ballot, labeling it "voter fraud at the highest level." The retired teacher, Daniel J. Sullivan, stated he entered the race voluntarily. While the practice of recruiting candidates to split an opponent's votes, known as ballot stacking, is generally legal, the Times' investigation did not find any criminal wrongdoing.

Peltola's former campaign manager, Elisa Rios, confirmed the candidate was aware of the project but not directly involved. This controversy emerged days after Trump urged the Justice Department to sue Alaska over the presence of a second Sullivan on the ballot, aiming to delay certification if Peltola narrowly wins and could have changed the election outcome.

In June, Alaska's Supreme Court ruled in favor of the retired teacher, rejecting Republican attempts to remove him from the ballot. The state has asked a federal judge to dismiss the Justice Department's lawsuit, arguing it lacks legal basis.