According to a report from The New York Times, former Democratic Alaska Representative Mary Peltola’s campaign has been accused of attempting to undermine Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan’s reelection by recruiting another candidate with the same name.
Peltola’s team actively sought out other individuals named Dan Sullivan to appear on the ballot this November, which they believed might enhance her chances of winning. This investigation by the Times revealed that an operative, introduced by members of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), made covert trips to communities in Alaska, pitching the idea of running for office to potential candidates in casual settings, like brew pubs.
Moreover, conversations among Peltola’s campaign lawyers and senior DSCC aides about this strategy were ongoing, with discussions even touching on the creation of a new political party to attract conservative voters, as reported by the Times.
The Times spoke with 12 individuals over the last couple of months who were involved in or aware of these plans, and they uncovered numerous text messages outlining the strategy.
The DSCC introduced a Democratic operative named Jerid Kurtz to former Peltola campaign manager Elisa Rios and ex-chief of staff Anton McParland, as per the Times. Kurtz informed the team in a video call that he had made contact with another Dan Sullivan from Petersburg, who, he claimed, disliked former President Donald Trump and was open to aiding Peltola’s campaign.
“Alaskan voters need to know,” said Elisa Rios, the former Peltola campaign manager. “There was a lot of speculation, and voters should get the full picture when making their decisions.” However, Rios was dismissed from her position in August amidst organizational changes and later backtracked on her statements just before the report was published.
Kurtz reportedly reached out to a member of Peltola’s team to inform them he had arrived in Petersburg. Some aides expressed concerns about public exposure of their efforts, particularly after he posted a photo from the Anchorage airport on social media.
Despite these reports, Peltola’s campaign denied any involvement with either Sullivan campaign, asserting, “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.”
They further clarified to the Times that they “did not recruit any candidates into the race.” The DSCC also distanced itself from any recruitment activities for Republican candidates, and didn’t respond to further requests for comment.
A spokesperson for the Sullivan campaign accused Peltola of “gaslighting Alaskans,” stating, “Alaskans deserve the truth. Mary Peltola, her campaign, and her senior advisors colluded… to recruit candidates to deliberately deceive and confuse voters.”
Matthew Salisbury, an Alaskan, recounted receiving a call from someone named Zane, who later urged him at a pub to consider running for Senate. He later confirmed that the person was indeed Kurtz.
The former campaign staff also had interactions with Jim Lottsfeldt, a local political consultant, who reportedly agreed to provide financial support for lesser-known Senate candidates through super PACs. However, Lottsfeldt claimed to be unaware of any involvement in Peltola’s plans.
The Alaska Values PAC, backing Republican Gerald Heikes, showed Lottsfeldt’s name in advertising requests to local radio stations, but he minimized this to a possible clerical error.
Text exchanges indicated that Peltola’s team and the DSCC floated the idea of forming a MAGA Party, although this concept never materialized.
Dan J. Sullivan, the other candidate, entered the race in June without prior political experience. A Democratic strategist, Amber Lee, had even authored a press release announcing his candidacy.
Lee expressed back in January that she believed Peltola had a fair chance against Sullivan, and later hoped she would run for governor to shield the state from Trump’s administration.
Peltola, being the sole Democrat on the ranked-choice ballot, faced an unconventional opponent when the other Sullivan switched his party affiliation to unaffiliated just before the general election. Notably, he had also contributed funds to Democratic candidates.
On Friday, the Department of Justice initiated legal action to potentially block the Senate race results if Sullivan does not win.
A former Democratic candidate, David Leslie, mentioned that Kurtz encouraged him to exit the race after making it to the general election, and he texted Leslie expressing pride in that decision.
The open voting system in Alaska enabled this entire scheme, enabling candidates to claim any affiliation without formal vetting. There were previous incidents, notably when Republicans supported a candidate serving time in prison to stay on the ballot during Peltola’s House campaign in 2024.
Election Director Carol Beecher informed Sullivan that his candidacy declaration seemed intended to mislead voters rather than represent a true candidacy. Although he appealed, a judge initially allowed him to remain on the primary ballot. However, this was reversed by the Alaska Supreme Court, allowing the other Sullivan to be included. The DSCC and Peltola’s team publicly celebrated this ruling.
Peltola had visited the hometown of the other Sullivan just days before his candidacy announcement.
