Alaska Democrat denies knowledge of ballot stacking plot

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 1 Nov, 10:42 · Archive

Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola has denied knowing about alleged efforts by party aides to recruit a candidate with the same name as her Republican opponent.

Mary Peltola, the Democratic nominee for Alaska's Senate race, has denied any knowledge of an alleged plan to recruit a candidate named Dan Sullivan to run against incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Democratic Party aides pushed retiree Dan J. Sullivan Jr. to join the race, potentially to confuse voters and draw support from the incumbent.

Peltola's former campaign manager, Elisa Rios, who was fired in August, told the Times that Peltola was 'definitely aware' of the plan, though not directly involved. Peltola denied this characterisation at a campaign event in Juneau on Thursday night. 'I just want to clear the air. I knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent,' she said, according to coverage by the Times and KTOO-Radio. 'I am not interested in tricking voters. I know I can beat Dan Sullivan.'

Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher, has said he entered the race of his own volition. The ballot lists 'Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.' without a party affiliation, and 'Sullivan, Dan S. (Registered Republican) Incumbent.'

President Donald Trump called on Wednesday for officials to remove Peltola from the ballot, though this would be impossible since early voting has already started in Alaska. He called her alleged actions 'voter fraud at the highest level' and said she must be prosecuted. In a Friday radio interview, Trump claimed that Alaska voters would need 'about a 190 IQ' to figure out the ballot, questioning whether most people understood the word 'incumbent'.

The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit seeking to block certification of the race if Peltola wins by a margin attributable to voter confusion, and has opened a criminal probe. Fox News Digital reported that it contacted 42 Democratic lawmakers and governors who endorsed Peltola asking whether they would denounce the alleged effort to mislead voters, but none responded as of publication.

The New York Post reports separate allegations that Peltola used a racial slur in a 2024 incident following an October dinner honouring black soldiers, when she was a US Representative. Peltola's campaign denied this allegation, calling it 'part of a smear campaign driven by an unstable, disgruntled former staffer who was fired' and stating 'Mary would never use this word'.

How it is being reported

• AOC-backed Alaska Senate hopeful Mary Peltola accused of using n-wordMary Peltola — the Alaska Democratic Senate hopeful famously championed by "Squad" Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — is fighting allegations by former staffers she used the n-word in a 2024 incident.New York Post · 1 Nov, 10:31
• Trump claims Alaska voters need ‘190 IQ’ to understand their ballot as DOJ ratchets up case against the stateDemocratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola accused of recruiting a candidate with the same name as the sitting RepublicanIndependent World · 31 Oct, 22:30
• Dems' dire warnings about threats to democracy face an uncomfortable reckoning after Alaska election reportDemocratic Party lawmakers who endorsed Mary Peltola stayed silent when asked to denounce the alleged voter confusion scheme in Alaska's Senate race.Fox News · 31 Oct, 08:00
• Alaskan Senate candidate Mary Peltola denies knowledge of ballot stackingMary Peltola, the Democratic nominee for Alaska's Senate race, has denied having any knowledge of alleged ballot stacking efforts by her party.UPI · 30 Oct, 20:56

In this story: Mary Peltola · Dan Sullivan · Elisa Rios · Donald Trump · Democratic Party · Department of Justice · Alaska

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log