Texts show Peltola team helped recruit rival named Dan Sullivan

Alaska voters will face two candidates named Dan Sullivan in the U.S. Senate race on Nov. 3, a situation that has drawn a federal lawsuit and internal scrutiny of the Democratic campaign. The general election will determine which party controls the Senate, and the presence of a second Sullivan on the ranked-choice ballot has complicated the choice for residents.

The New York Times reported that members of Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign exchanged text messages discussing how to place a candidate with the same name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan on the ballot. The campaign ultimately recruited a retired schoolteacher from Petersburg, Alaska, named Dan J. Sullivan. He passed the state’s August primary and now appears on the general election ballot as an independent.

Dan J. Sullivan has stated he did not run at the direction of the Democrats. In June, he described his contact with Peltola’s team as zero. He did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the new reporting. A state elections official initially ruled him ineligible, arguing his candidacy was filed to confuse voters. The Alaska Supreme Court later overturned that decision, ruling he met the constitutional requirements for age, citizenship, and residency.

President Donald Trump directed the Department of Justice to file a lawsuit last week to preemptively contest a potential Peltola victory. The suit seeks to halt the certification of results if Peltola wins, citing the confusing ballot layout. On Wednesday, Trump wrote on social media that Peltola should face legal and political consequences for the situation.

Nate Adams, a spokesperson for Sen. Dan Sullivan, said Alaskans deserve the truth. He accused Peltola, her advisers, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee of colluding to recruit candidates intended to deceive voters. Peltola’s campaign issued a statement on Wednesday claiming it has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also said it is not involved with Dan J. Sullivan, despite reports that its staffers were included in the text exchanges.

The reporting is based partly on interviews with Elisa Rios, Peltola’s former campaign manager, who was fired in August. The newspaper reported that Rios attempted to retract her comments last week. Legal experts said the new information about the recruitment effort will not change the Department of Justice lawsuit. Derek Muller, a Notre Dame law professor, described the move as a dirty campaign trick that left the decision in the hands of voters.

As of Monday, 46,204 ballots had been cast in Alaska. The ballot lists the incumbent as Dan Sullivan, Republican, and the challenger as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., with no party affiliation.