Peltola campaign aides, DSCC officials helped recruit second Dan Sullivan in Alaska race: NYT - CNBC

People working with Democratic Senate nominee Mary Peltola's campaign and senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee participated in efforts to recruit a man named Daniel J. Sullivan to enter the Alaska Senate contest, in a bid to draw votes away from incumbent Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

The Times — citing interviews, texts and documents prepared for a potential lawsuit against Peltola's campaign — reported that "not only did Ms. Peltola's team work with people trying to recruit Mr. Sullivan to run for Senate, but the effort was much broader."

"The group worked to coax other would-be spoilers into the race, to dilute the incumbent's support and help catapult the Democrat to victory," the newspaper reported.

Peltola's former campaign manager Elisa Rios told the Times that Peltola was not directly involved in the project, but she was "definitely aware," according to the report.

The Times noted Rios last week tried to retract comments she made confirming the effort to recruit spoilers.

Peltola's campaign and the DSCC "denied participating in efforts to recruit spoilers to the ballot in Alaska," The Times said.

The newspaper's report noted ballot-stacking tactics are "common in politics and generally considered legal — and have been employed by both parties in Alaska."

The report comes days after the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit allegingthe campaign by the non-incumbent Sullivan was geared toward him acting as a spoiler for the incumbent Sullivan because of voter confusion.

The DOJ has asked a federal judge in Alaska to block certification of any Senate race result "that may be impacted by voter confusion ... pending an investigation to determine whether votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan were meant to be cast for Senator Sullivan."

The winner of the election could determine whether Democrats regain a majority in the Senate, or if Republicans retain their current majority.

President Donald Trump has said he ordered the DOJ's lawsuit.

After the Times published its report, Trump demanded that Peltola and Daniel J. Sullivan both be removed from Alaska's election ballot.

Trump, in a Truth Social post, claimed the report showed Democrats "illegally" sought out the same-named man "in order to defraud, confuse, and obfuscate the Election, thereby taking votes away from the REAL Senator, Dan Sullivan."

Peltola's campaign, in a statement to CNBC on The Times article, said, "The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign. Like Mary, our campaign is focused on lowering costs and fixing the rigged system in DC."

A DSCC spokesperson in a statement to CNBC said, "The DSCC is not involved with Dan J. Sullivan."

"Republicans have a long history of recruiting and propping up candidates in an attempt to boost their own campaigns – including recruiting a prisoner with a New York address to run against Mary Peltola and spending nearly half a million dollars to secure a spot on the ballot in Alaska for an Arizona resident in the Senate race this cycle," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson pointed to several examples of Republicans promoting third-party and dark horse candidates in the current election cycle and past ones to increase chances of a GOP candidate winning a race.

Peltola's campaign and DSCC, as well as Alaska's election officials, have asked the judge overseeing the DOJ's lawsuit, Sharon Gleason, to dismiss the suit before Election Day, Nov. 3. The League of Women Voters of Alaska and the advocacy group Common Cause have also sought to intervene in the case to oppose the DOJ's efforts.

Alaska officials said the DOJ "lacks authority to intervene in state elections at all, much less in support of a favored candidate," and that the lawsuit and "requested relief cast a cloud over Alaska's election."

State officials said in a court filing that Alaska's Division of Elections "has taken significant steps to distinguish" between the two Sullivans on the ballot, "so that voters can easily determine which candidate is which."

Gleason on Monday evening fast-tracked the case, increasing the chance she will decide whether to dismiss the case in U.S. District Court in Anchorage before Election Day.

Daniel J. Sullivan prevailed in a legal fight that ended with the Alaska Supreme Court allowing him on the nonpartisan primary ballot over the opposition of state election officials who argued his presence would confuse voters.

He won enough votes in that contest to win a place as one of four candidates on the general election ballot.

On that ballot, his name is spelled out "Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr." with no other words next to it.

Directly below his name, Sen. Sullivan is listed as Sullivan, Dan. S. with the words "Registered Republican, incumbent" next to his name in parentheses.

Peltola, a former U.S. House member, is the only Democrat on the ballot.

Alaska uses ranked-choice voting, which allows voters to rank candidates by preference. That method could allow voters to rank both Sullivans as choices, allowing a vote for the non-incumbent to be transferred to the incumbent senator if the non-incumbent is eliminated in the first round of counting.

The Times quoted Peltola's former campaign manager Rios, who the newspaper reported was fired in August, as saying, "Alaskan voters need to know" about the effort to recruit others into the race.

"There was a lot of speculation, and voters should get the full picture when making their decisions," Rios was quoted as saying.

Rios told The Times last week that she wanted to retract her prior statements.

"As discussed on our call earlier today, I am confirming that I have retracted all statements made regarding the 2026 Alaska Senate Race in connection with any article you may or may not be writing," Rios wrote, according to The Times. "I am not willing to be a source for any story in any capacity."

The newspaper said it told Rios she would be part of its article, and noted her interviews "were consistent with The Times's other reporting."