Open Veils · Answer
What shenanigans are going on with the Alaska senate race?
Federal criminal probes, gubernatorial investigations, and DOJ subpoenas are all now active simultaneously in a single Senate race — a convergence that suggests this goes well beyond ordinary opposition research. The core allegation is that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Peltola campaign allies deliberately recruited a former schoolteacher named Dan J. Sullivan to appear on the ballot alongside incumbent Dan S. Sullivan, with the explicit goal of confusing Alaska's ranked-choice voting electorate. Attorney General Todd Blanche has publicly called it 'cheating' and 'fraud.' Whether it crosses into criminal ballot manipulation or stays in the realm of aggressive — if cynical — campaign strategy is now a live legal question.
Evidence
- Per the New York Times (reported by CNBC, Oct 28 2026), Peltola campaign aides participated in efforts to recruit Daniel J. Sullivan — a Petersburg boat dealership owner who had already donated to the campaign — to enter the race as a Senate candidate, directly mirroring the name of the Republican incumbent.
- The DOJ, per NBC News (Oct 29 2026), issued at least three dozen subpoenas and document preservation requests to both Peltola's Senate campaign offices and Dan J. Sullivan's operation.
- Separately, per AP News (Oct 30 2026), the DOJ filed a lawsuit and sought a court order to isolate ballots ranking Dan J. Sullivan — a measure aimed at preserving evidence of potential voter confusion for the criminal probe.
- The Election Law Blog, cited by The Guardian (Oct 29 2026), notes the clearest criminal exposure is perjury if anyone lied under oath about coordination — not the recruitment itself.
- Peltola's campaign had previously denied any such solicitation.