Dunleavy orders criminal look into Peltola Senate race over name confusion

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has launched a criminal investigation into the Senate campaign of Democrat Mary Peltola.

The probe began following a New York Times report alleging that Peltola’s team attempted to confuse voters by recruiting a candidate with the same name as her opponent. The incident dates back to the summer of 2026, when the newspaper published interviews with Peltola’s former campaign manager and a longtime aide. These individuals described a plan to encourage other people named Dan Sullivan to run against the Republican incumbent, Dan Sullivan. The Times stated it had reviewed text messages and documents showing that Peltola’s staff and senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee devised the strategy. A May report from the Anchorage Daily News identified the recruited candidate as Dan J. Sullivan, a former educator with no prior political experience.

Dunleavy, a Republican, directed the state department of public safety to examine the matter. He posted on social media that he wanted investigators to determine if the scheme violated Alaska laws and if criminal charges or civil action were warranted. The governor described the situation as "disturbing new evidence of an organized effort to manipulate Alaska's elections." He emphasized that voters have a fundamental right to support the candidate they intend to choose. Dunleavy stated, "Deliberately tricking voters into casting their ballots for someone else strikes at the integrity of our elections." He added that anyone or any organization found to have broken the law must be held accountable.

President Donald Trump reacted to the Times report by calling for Peltola to be "removed from the Ballot and prosecuted." The president had previously criticized the presence of two candidates named Dan Sullivan on the ballot. He accused Democrats of placing an "imposter" in the race. Peltola’s campaign had previously denied any role in soliciting Dan J. Sullivan to run against Dan S. Sullivan.

The investigation is currently in its early stages. The governor's announcement did not establish that a law was broken. Investigators will determine if the alleged conduct violated state law and what legal action is appropriate.