Peltola denies knowing about Alaska spoiler candidate Dan J. Sullivan

Mary Peltola, the Democratic candidate for Alaska’s US Senate seat, said at a campaign event in Juneau that she knew nothing about an effort to put another Dan Sullivan on the ballot. She said she had known only about her own candidacy and that of the Republican incumbent, Senator Dan S. Sullivan, and was not interested in tricking voters. Her denial followed a report alleging that people connected to her campaign and national Democratic officials had helped recruit Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. to draw votes from the senator. The second Sullivan has denied running at Democrats’ request. A former Peltola staff member told reporters that Peltola was aware of the effort, while saying she was not directly involved.

The allegations prompted federal subpoenas and an investigation ordered by Alaska’s Republican governor. The Justice Department also brought a separate civil case concerning certification of the election result. Alaska’s Supreme Court had ruled that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. was eligible to run after state election officials tried to remove him from the ballot. The ballot identifies the senator as the incumbent and distinguishes the two men by their full names. The reported recruitment effort and Peltola’s knowledge of it remain disputed; the investigations do not establish that she committed wrongdoing.