Alaska Governor Orders Criminal and Civil Probe into Dan Sullivan Candidate Recruitment
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered an investigation late Wednesday into whether the alleged recruitment of a candidate named Dan Sullivan for the state’s U.S. Senate race violated criminal or civil laws, CNBC reported. The probe follows a report by The New York Times detailing how individuals in Democratic nominee Mary Peltola’s campaign and senior advisors at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee worked to recruit a retired schoolteacher named Dan Sullivan to run and draw votes away from the incumbent senator of the same name.
The political stakes in the Alaska Senate race are potentially momentous as the winner could determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, with Republicans currently holding a six-vote majority. Dunleavy announced the directive in a post on X, stating that new reporting substantially supports findings by the Alaska Division of Elections. State election officials had previously investigated concerns that the retired teacher’s entry into the primary was designed to confuse voters and initially blocked him from the ballot, though a state court judge reversed that order and the Alaska Supreme Court upheld it.
Legal Battles and Federal Court Interventions Before Election Day
The governor’s order arrived as a federal judge in Alaska allowed Peltola’s campaign and the DSCC to intervene in a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit seeking to block the state from immediately certifying any Senate election result impacted by voter confusion. President Donald Trump stated he ordered the DOJ to file the action. Meanwhile, the campaign, the DSCC, and state election officials asked Judge Sharon Gleason to dismiss the lawsuit before Election Day on Nov. 3.
Gleason ordered the DOJ to respond to motions to dismiss filed by Peltola’s campaign, the DSCC, the League of Women Voters of Alaska, and Common Cause. Both Peltola’s campaign and the DSCC have pushed back against the allegations and pointed to what they term Republican hypocrisy. A DSCC spokesperson noted instances of Republicans promoting third-party and dark horse candidates in past and current election cycles to boost their own electoral chances.
Ballot Distinctions and What Happens Next on November 3
Alaska elections officials stated in a court filing that the Division of Elections took significant steps to distinguish between the two candidates on the ballot. The retired teacher appears as “Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.” with no other words next to his name, while incumbent Senator Sullivan is listed directly below as “Sullivan, Dan. S.” accompanied by the parenthetical designation “Registered Republican, incumbent.” State officials also maintained in their filing that the United States lacks authority to intervene in state elections.
With Election Day approaching on November 3, legal filings and responses continue to move rapidly through the federal court under Judge Gleason’s expedited schedule. The Department of Public Safety will determine what investigative steps and potential civil or criminal actions follow the governor’s directive.
