NYT: Democrats recruited a 'second Dan Sullivan' for Alaska ballot

politicsOct 29, 202621424

The New York Times reported that operatives aligned with Democratic Senate nominee Mary Peltola spent months recruiting a second candidate named Dan Sullivan to run in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race with the apparent aim of peeling votes from incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. The Times account says the effort placed the second Dan Sullivan on the ballot and frames it as a coordinated recruitment campaign by people associated with Peltola. A legal analysis published alongside the story warned that if the reporting is accurate it would be a political bombshell, though it debated whether the conduct would amount to a legal violation. Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered an investigation after the story, citing accusations that Peltola’s campaign had recruited the duplicate-name candidate to confuse voters. The episode has prompted immediate political fallout in Alaska and a dispute over whether the recruitment crosses legal lines or is an aggressive but lawful campaign tactic.

Mary Peltola

@marypeltola.com

Seward has a message for Dan Sullivan and his billionaire backers: Alaska is not for sale 🇺🇸

1083h ago

W.E.D.em Boyz

@leftistwonk.bsky.social

The Republican Senate Leadership fund spent $500K to get a Green Party spoiler candidate who lives in Arizona on the ballot IN ALASKA in THIS SAME ELECTION

803h ago

AdotSad

@adotsad.bsky.social

It be one thing if it was JUST the New York Times dropping this story. It's that everyone else is also picking up on it and making it big deal in order to manufacturer a scandal. And its very clearly on purpose to persuade voters on the fence to vote for Dan Sullivan (Incumbent Republican).

832h ago

Eric Columbus

@ericcolumbus.bsky.social

If Peltola wins, expect DOJ to go after her for violating 18 USC 241. They will not succeed. abcnews.com/Politics/ala...

222h ago

Adam Cohen (My Personal Views Only)

@axidentaliberal.bsky.social

Yeah-I wish Peltola didn't use the same tactics the GOP used TO GET DAN SULLIVAN ELECTED IN THE FIRST PLACE But Alaskans are still paying ridiculous prices for food and gas. They still can't afford health insurance. Trump is still bleeding them dry This story changes none of that #BlueWaveIn5Days

162h ago

Norby369

It is a hit piece. DOJ trying to indict 5 days before midterms based on a botched hit piece. Hard no. bsky.app/profile/norb...

Gary Legum

@glegum.bsky.social

The amount of actual crime going uninvestigated in this country right now while the DOJ pursues Trump's petty grievances must be something else. apnews.com/article/alas...

192h ago

rob

@ok-but-still.bsky.social

loling imagining trump trying to give alaska back to russia if that lady wins the senate race

181h ago

David Darmofal

@daviddarmofal.bsky.social

Re: Peltola, In Ohio [this year], Republicans have spent more than $2.2 million to promote a socialist candidate in the state’s vital Senate race, aiming to pull votes from the Democratic nominee, former Senator Sherrod Brown.

82h ago

Axios

@axios.com

Alaska's tight Senate race is facing a new controversy over two candidates named Dan Sullivan appearing on the ballot. Here's what to know.

112h ago

Doesn’t ranked choice voting minimize the damage of this shenanigans? If your dumbass doesn’t know what ‘incumbent’ means all you have to do is vote for both Sullivan’s and not rank Peltola. What am I missing?

Cynfulfan2

Typical awful and misleading post from Axios

MJ1

a) this is not "new". b) it's only a controversy in WH.

Walter MOONdale

@dabenner.bsky.social

The Alaska politicians are bound by the Alaska courts already ruling on this; the Senate will have a D majority without her; and Todd Blanche is not a scary person to fight.

101h ago

Colleen Mondor

@chasingray.bsky.social

It is not changing the minds of any actual Alaskan voters. (The only "mixed reactions" from voters here are Murkowski & Sullivan. Everyone else they talked to shrugged their shoulders and voted as planned.) alaskapublic.org/news/politic...

82h ago

Pine Tree Activism

@pinetreeactivism.org

I sure hope Troy Jackson and Mary Peltola from Alaska get to work together in the senate. They share so many values and appreciation of the working people of their states. It'd be a nice way to bookend the U.S., wouldn't it, senators from Maine and Alaska working together for us all. #MEpolitics

82h ago

Michael Mechanic

@michaelmechanic.bsky.social

The GOP pearl clutching around the Alaska race is pretty laughable, given the Republicans have been doing this stuff forever. I totally forgot Trump has tried to run Kanye West for president to siphon Black votes away from the Democrats.

52h ago

Robin Palm, AICP

@bourbonplanner.bsky.social

What's funny about the Alaska senate race "story", the only people who would have fallen for it don't read the news anyway. Also, it's ranked choice voting? There are no "spoilers." If you're unsure, you rank 1 dan sullivan then the other. It's actually an defense of using RCV everywhere.

42h ago

Dana Houle

@danahoule.bsky.social

All this plural Dan Sullivan stuff reminds me of the various Lamar Lemmons. (If you did Detroit politics in the 1990’s to the 2010’s you know)

33h ago

3 sources

nytimes.comInside Democrats’ Secret Effort to Stack Alaska’s Midterm Ballot With Another Dan Sullivan theguardian.comAlaska governor orders investigation into Democrat Mary Peltola’s Senate campaign apnews.comRepublicans scrambled to get Cornel West on the Arizona ballot. The left-wing academic is OK with it

Abdul El‑Sayed widens lead over Mike Rogers in Michigan Senate pollpolitics NYT: Democrats recruited a 'second Dan Sullivan' for Alaska ballotpolitics Ethics experts say some cabinet officials are breaking the Hatch Actpolitics Flávio Bolsonaro lands in US and declares himself Brazil's leaderpolitics

NYT: Democrats recruited a 'second Dan Sullivan' for Alaska ballot

Related