Full Breakdown
Allegations of a Spoiler-Candidate Scheme in Alaska’s U.S. Senate Race
By Drooid · · How we work
In this breakdown
01
Alleged Election Manipulation
A recent investigative report by *The New York Times* alleged that the campaign of Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola was involved in a coordinated effort to recruit “spoiler” candidates—individuals sharing the name of incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan—to split the Republican vote. The report triggered a wave of criticism on social media after a 2023 video resurfaced in which Peltola said, “It should be a criminal offense to lie or mislead the electorate.” Conservatives cited the remark as evidence of hypocrisy and called for investigations.
02
Background and Recent Developments
The National Republican Senatorial Committee posted the clip on X shortly after the *Times* story broke. The allegation centers on the recruitment of a namesake candidate, Dan J. Sullivan, to appear on the ballot alongside incumbent Dan S. Sullivan. Alaska’s Division of Elections examined the matter in June, concluding that the concerns raised were “substantially supported” by the new reporting. Federal prosecutors have opened an “aggressive criminal investigation,” preparing grand-jury subpoenas and reviewing possible violations of voters’ rights. The Department of Justice has not commented publicly.
Visual evidence
Images from the story
03
Official Statements & Responses
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy announced that he was ordering the Department of Public Safety to investigate whether the alleged scheme violated state law and whether criminal or civil actions are warranted. He noted that the Division of Elections’ findings align with the recent reporting. The DOJ declined to comment on the investigation’s scope. Peltola’s campaign dismissed the allegations as “just another distraction,” characterizing the *Times* report as an effort to “sell newspapers.”
04
Verbatim Quotes
- “It should be a criminal offense to lie or mislead the electorate,” — Mary Peltola