Sanders says what Democrats did in Alaska “seems to be pretty dumb”

US senator Bernie Sanders criticised an alleged Democratic effort to influence Alaska’s Senate ballot, saying it “seems to me to be pretty dumb”. Speaking on 1 November, he was responding to reports that Democratic operatives helped recruit a retired teacher named Dan Sullivan to run in the same race as Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola. Peltola has said she did not know about the effort. Sanders said he regarded the tactic as legal, while arguing that attempts to draw votes from an opponent also occur in other elections.

The controversy has prompted a federal investigation and a Justice Department lawsuit seeking to challenge certification of the race if the other Sullivan’s candidacy affects the result. President Donald Trump has called for Peltola’s prosecution, while Sanders said Alaskans should decide how to handle their election. The Republican incumbent has said he would accept the certified result. Alaska’s courts have allowed both Sullivans to remain on the ballot, leaving voters to distinguish between them in the state’s ranked-choice election.