Texts Link Peltola Campaign to Recruitment of Challenger Dan J. Sullivan

The Democratic campaign for Alaska’s U.S. Senate seat played a role in recruiting a challenger who shares the incumbent’s name, according to text messages reviewed by The New York Times. The communications between members of Mary Peltola’s team show discussions about finding a candidate named Dan Sullivan to appear alongside Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan on the general election ballot.

The effort culminated in the selection of Dan J. Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher from Petersburg, a small fishing community. Sullivan, who is listed on the ballot as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., passed the state’s August open primary. He is now one of four candidates in the ranked-choice voting general election scheduled for Tuesday.

The timeline of events began when a top state elections official ruled Sullivan ineligible after his declaration. The official argued the candidacy was filed to confuse or mislead voters. The case proceeded to the Alaska Supreme Court, which determined Sullivan was qualified to run based on the U.S. Constitution’s requirements for age, citizenship, and residency.

President Donald Trump directed the Department of Justice to file a lawsuit last week. The suit seeks to block the certification of a potential Peltola victory, citing the presence of the second Dan Sullivan on the ballot. Trump wrote on his social media site on Wednesday that Peltola should face legal and political consequences for her actions.

Peltola’s campaign issued a statement on Wednesday claiming it has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign. The campaign made a similar assertion in June. Nate Adams, a spokesperson for the incumbent, stated that Peltola and her senior advisers colluded with national Democratic lawyers and Alaska operatives to recruit candidates intended to deceive voters.

Legal experts noted that the report of recruitment efforts does not alter the Department of Justice lawsuit. Derek Muller, a law professor at Notre Dame, described the situation as a campaign tactic that left the decision to voters rather than litigation. The Times report relies partly on interviews with Elisa Rios, Peltola’s former campaign manager who was dismissed in August.

As of Monday, 46,204 ballots had been cast in the state. The other Sullivan, Dan J. Sullivan, denied running at the Democrats' behest in June, stating he had zero contact with the Peltola campaign. He did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the new report.