JUNEAU — President Donald Trump has called for two candidates in Alaska’s US Senate race to be removed from the ballot and prosecuted, accusing Democrats of orchestrating a scheme to split the vote of Republican Senator Dan Sullivan days before the November 3 election.
In posts on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump accused Democrat Mary Peltola and Daniel J Sullivan Jr, a retired teacher who shares the senator’s name, of election fraud, describing the alleged operation as “Voter Fraud at the Highest Level.”
The demand followed a New York Times investigation into efforts by people linked to Peltola’s campaign to recruit candidates who could draw support from the senator. The Times reported the effort began in 2025, when a Peltola aide was asked to identify Alaskans named Dan Sullivan, and named Democratic operative Jerid Kurtz as a recruiter who sometimes approached potential candidates under an assumed name.
The newspaper noted that recruiting candidates to split an opponent’s vote, known as ballot stacking, is generally legal and has been used by both parties in Alaska. Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee denied recruiting candidates, and her campaign said political threats from Washington would not stop her candidacy, Al Jazeera reported.
The two Sullivans are among four candidates in Alaska’s ranked-choice race, and the ballot identifies the sitting senator as the incumbent Republican. Alaska’s Supreme Court upheld the retired teacher’s right to run in June.
The Justice Department sued Alaska last week, seeking to delay certification if Senator Sullivan loses and votes for his namesake could have affected the outcome. The race could help determine control of the Senate.
Sources: Al Jazeera
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