Alaska Governor Orders Probe Into Senate Ballot Confusion

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a state investigation on Wednesday night into the U.S. Senate race following a report on a disputed ballot candidate.

A New York Times article detailed how Democratic operatives recruited a second candidate named Dan Sullivan. Republicans argue this non-incumbent Sullivan could confuse voters and split the Republican vote. The Times based its story on communications between attorneys for Democrat Mary Peltola and aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Peltola, a former congresswoman seeking to flip the seat, called the story a distraction while campaigning Wednesday. She and the DSCC reiterated their denials of involvement after the report published. The non-incumbent Sullivan did not respond to media requests for comment, though he previously stated the decision to run was his own.

Republicans moved quickly to use the news against the Peltola campaign. Nate Adams, a spokesperson for incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, said Peltola had been denying a scheme for months. President Trump posted online that the situation represented voter fraud at the highest level.

The Justice Department had already sought to intervene in the race. Last week, officials asked a court to delay certification if the incumbent loses by a small margin. They cited potential voter confusion caused by the second Sullivan on the ballot. Experts criticized that legal effort as weak because the Constitution gives states control over elections.

On Thursday, Justice Department officials filed an amended complaint citing the new reporting. They said the story expands the department's options for investigating the race. Dunleavy directed the Department of Public Safety to determine if laws were violated and if criminal or civil action is warranted.

The state Supreme Court ruled in June that the non-incumbent Sullivan could appear on the general election ballot after advancing from the nonpartisan primary. The ballot notes which Sullivan is the incumbent. The state uses ranked-choice voting, which allows voters to rank both Sullivans to avoid giving a first-place preference to Peltola.