Report Says Peltola Allies Helped Recruit Second Dan Sullivan as DOJ Seeks to Block Alaska Result

Operatives aligned with Democratic Senate nominee Mary Peltola, including campaign aides and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee officials, helped recruit a second candidate named Dan Sullivan to run against Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska, the New York Times reported Wednesday, citing text messages, interviews and documents. The candidate who ended up on the ballot, Dan J. Sullivan, is a retired schoolteacher from Petersburg. He advanced through the August open primary and is one of four candidates on the ranked ballot for Tuesday's general election. He said in June that he had no contact with Peltola's campaign, and the campaign has denied involvement. A state elections official ruled him ineligible, but the Alaska Supreme Court held that he could run. On Oct. 22 the Justice Department sued to delay certification if the incumbent loses and votes for the other candidate could have changed the result. President Trump confirmed he ordered the suit. Peltola's attorneys and the DSCC have moved to dismiss it.

Right-leaning outlets treat the Times report as confirmation of a scheme. The Daily Mail's headline calls it a sabotage plot, uses the nickname 'Decoy Dan' and adds colorful detail: a 'Ballot Composition Project', a Midwestern operative recruiting in pubs, and a plan for a MAGA party. Fox News instead leads with the DOJ's uphill legal fight, using 'alleged' for the plot and citing Heritage Foundation fellow Don Palmer. It also notes Republicans are defending a narrow Senate majority. Left-leaning outlets cover the same report in a more attributed tone. The New York Times describes a secret effort by aligned operatives. The Los Angeles Times credits the Times and includes Sullivan's denial, the state official's ruling and the Supreme Court decision. Both sides cite the Times report and the DOJ suit. They differ in tone and in how much weight they give the denials. Democracy Now offers a distinct angle, quoting the ACLU's Sophia Lin Lakin calling the suit meritless and asking for sanctions, and framing it as undermining confidence in the election.