Bari Weiss faced ‘significant resistance’ from CBS News staffers about Alaska ballot scandal, insiders say
CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss called the Alaska ballot controversy a “scandal” and urged staff to pursue it, but several staffers reportedly argued that similar candidate-name tactics are routine politics. The discussion reflects a broader dispute over how to cover allegations that a rival candidate was recruited to confuse voters.
The New York Times reported that aides to Mary Peltola sought people named Dan Sullivan, with the aim of persuading one to run against Republican Senator Dan Sullivan on Alaska’s four-person ranked-choice ballot. Peltola’s former campaign manager said she was aware of the effort but not directly involved; Peltola’s campaign has disputed the allegations. The US Justice Department has sued Alaska over certification of the result if votes for the other Sullivan could affect the outcome.
In short
- Weiss urged CBS staff to pursue the Alaska ballot story.
- Staffers differed on whether the alleged tactic was unusual.
- The Justice Department has sued over possible effects on the result.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
If a campaign deliberately recruited a candidate with the same name as an opponent to divert or confuse votes, that could undermine voters’ ability to make an informed choice and deserves scrutiny. The reported Justice Department lawsuit and the possibility that such votes could affect the result strengthen the case for treating the allegation as consequential and investigating it thoroughly.
The case against
Recruiting or encouraging a same-name candidate may be viewed as a hard-edged but familiar political tactic, and the reported allegations remain disputed; coverage should distinguish what is established from what is alleged. Calling it a “scandal” before the facts are settled could prejudge the issue, while extensive attention to the tactic may give it undue weight compared with voters’ choices and the broader campaign.
Explained simply
Alaska uses a ranked-choice system for some elections, including its US Senate race. Voters rank candidates in order, and if no one wins enough first-choice votes, lower-ranked choices are counted in later rounds.
The dispute concerns whether people with the same name as Republican Senator Dan Sullivan were encouraged to run, potentially confusing voters choosing between him and other candidates. The New York Times reported that aides to Mary Peltola sought people named Dan Sullivan; Peltola’s former campaign manager said she knew of the effort but was not directly involved, and Peltola’s campaign has disputed the allegations.
The US Justice Department has sued Alaska over how the result would be certified if votes for another Dan Sullivan could affect the outcome. The case matters because it raises questions about how election rules should handle candidates whose names may be mistaken for those of better-known politicians.