$87,000 Paid to Consultant at Center of Alaska Election Scheme

A pro-Mary Peltola super PAC paid approximately $87,000 to Wingspan Strategies, a firm co-owned by Jerid Kurtz, according to Federal Election Commission records. The payment was made while Kurtz, an Ohio-based Democratic operative, was actively recruiting candidates in Alaska’s Senate race. The financial transaction is at the center of a New York Times investigation published Wednesday that details an operation to influence the closely contested election.

The effort, internally referred to as the “ballot composition project,” aimed to exploit Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system. Campaign aides and national Democratic officials sought to recruit candidates who could draw votes away from Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan. This included recruiting a second candidate with the same name, Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, Alaska, who entered the race in May 2025.

Kurtz traveled across Alaska using the name “Zane” while approaching potential candidates in bars, restaurants, and private meetings. Matthew Salisbury, a prospective candidate from Anchorage, identified Kurtz as the man who encouraged him to run after receiving a photograph of the operative. Salisbury said the individual offered financial support through outside political spending. The campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) denied direct involvement in recruiting these candidates.

Elisa Rios, the former Peltola campaign manager, stated that Peltola was “definitely aware” of the operation, though not directly involved. Rios was dismissed during an August campaign restructure. She told the Times that DSCC officials introduced Kurtz to senior aides in 2025. The DSCC’s director of campaigns, Andrew Piatt, and Peltola’s former chief of staff, Anton McParland, participated in text message discussions about the strategy over several months.

In January 2025, McParland proposed creating a new right-wing political party to attract conservative voters. He wrote, “Imagine if there was a MAGA party!” Piatt replied, “Smart. Let’s see.” The idea was abandoned in May. The operation also involved efforts to recruit Gerald Heikes, a Republican drywall contractor who secured a spot on the November ballot. Heikes said a man from the Midwest encouraged him to run and promised support, though he did not identify the individual as Kurtz.

The findings emerged less than a week after the Trump administration filed a federal lawsuit. The Justice Department seeks to block the certification of Alaska’s Senate results if confusion between the two Sullivans affects the outcome. The Republican incumbent appears on the ballot as Dan S. Sullivan, while the other candidate is listed as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. without a party affiliation. An Alaska Supreme Court ruling in June allowed the second Sullivan to remain on the ballot.

Rios provided interviews over two months but later attempted to retract her statements to the newspaper. The Times reported that its findings were corroborated by documentary evidence, including text messages and campaign records. Kurtz did not respond to requests for comment. The super PAC denied hiring Kurtz personally for services. Election law experts have questioned the federal government’s legal basis for challenging certification based on potential voter confusion.