The New York Times reported Wednesday that operatives around Democrat Mary Peltola's Senate campaign spent months looking for a second Dan Sullivan to put in Alaska's race against Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, a plan the paper says worked. Peltola's campaign denies recruiting anyone.
According to the Times, a Peltola staffer got unusual instructions from top campaign aides in the summer of 2025, when she was eyeing a Senate run: "Find as many people named Dan Sullivan in Alaska as you can." The staffer searched voter records and compiled a statewide list of Dan Sullivans. "The plan worked," the paper wrote. Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, entered the race this year without a party label next to his name.
The paper's central source is Elisa Rios, Peltola's former campaign manager, who was fired this summer. Rios said Peltola was "definitely aware" of the effort but not directly involved in it. The Times says it drew on interviews with Rios and 11 other people, text messages and documents prepared for a potential lawsuit against the campaign.
Rios has since tried to take it back. She told the Times last week she wanted to retract her comments and said, "I am not willing to be a source for any story in any capacity." The Times refused what it called a rare request involving on-the-record interviews, and said it had never agreed to keep them off the record.
The campaign's statement to the Times said "The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign and did not recruit any candidates into the race." The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said, "The DSCC is not involved with Dan J. Sullivan." Sullivan has denied being a Democratic plant.
Republicans have made the allegation since the spring; the Times account comes from inside the campaign. Alaska's Division of Elections removed Dan J. Sullivan from the ballot June 15, and the state Supreme Court put him back one day before the ballot-printing deadline. ABC News reported July 3 that the Justice Department was examining possible wire fraud or a conspiracy to make the election unfair.
The Justice Department then sued the state on Oct. 22 to bar it from certifying any result "impacted by voter confusion" if the senator loses, and the complaint says "the sole purpose of his candidacy is to benefit the Peltola campaign." As we reported, Trump said he ordered the suit and posted that "Even 1, 2, or 3% could make the difference." A Peltola spokesperson called it "a despicable political threat to overturn an election." Her campaign and the DSCC have asked to intervene, and her campaign has asked a federal judge to dismiss it.
Democrats are not unanimous. Iowa gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand, asked about the Alaska allegations by Fox News, said "Both parties are doing it and neither party should be doing it."
The numbers cut both ways. Dan J. Sullivan took 2.47% in the August primary, while Peltola led the incumbent 49.54% to 41.40%, a gap of 8.14 points. The Justice Department's case is aimed at a finish close enough for a 2% candidate to matter when Alaskans vote Nov. 3.