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Vance attacks Alaska Democrat Mary Peltola over report alleging attempt to recruit candidate with same name as Senate contender Dan Sullivan
An NYT investigation reported efforts to recruit a candidate named Dan Sullivan to challenge Rep Senator Dan Sullivan, raising concerns about voter confusion.
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US Vice President JD Vance accused Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola of trying to manipulate Alaska’s Senate race in her favor, after a New York Times investigation reported that members of her campaign were involved in efforts to recruit a candidate with the same name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Vance described Peltola as a “total crook” and alleged that she had tried to rig the race. He also said he looked forward to Alaska reelecting Sullivan, who is seeking another term in the Senate in the November 3 midterm elections.
Deep Dive
The controversy follows a New York Times investigation that detailed an alleged effort involving Peltola campaign aides to identify people named Dan Sullivan who might run against the incumbent Republican.
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What the NYT report said
According to the report, a Peltola campaign staffer received instructions in the summer of 2025 to find people named Dan Sullivan in Alaska. The newspaper reported that text messages and documents indicated that campaign aides, lawyers and staff linked to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee discussed efforts to recruit candidates who could draw votes away from the incumbent.
One candidate, Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, Alaska, eventually entered the race. He shares a name with Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan, although the two candidates have different middle initials.
The report suggested that the presence of another candidate with a similar name could create confusion among voters on Alaska’s four-candidate ballot.
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However, Peltola’s campaign denied involvement. A spokesperson for Alaskans for Mary said the campaign had “no involvement with either Sullivan campaign”, according to ABC News. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also denied involvement with Dan J. Sullivan.
Legal dispute over the second Dan Sullivan
The candidacy had already faced legal challenges. An Alaska elections official previously ruled Dan J. Sullivan ineligible, finding that his candidacy had been filed with the purpose of confusing or misleading voters. The dispute reached the Alaska Supreme Court, which allowed him to remain on the ballot.
The controversy has also drawn intervention from the Trump administration. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent certification of Alaska’s Senate election results if Republican Dan Sullivan narrowly loses, citing concerns over the second candidate’s presence on the ballot, according to Associated Press report.
The Senate contest is among the races that could help determine which party controls the chamber after the November 3 midterms.
