Trump Urges Giving Alaska Rivals' Votes to Sen. Sullivan as Peltola Leads Count
Photo: The New York TimesPresident Donald Trump said on Thursday that the votes cast for two other candidates in Alaska's unresolved U.S. Senate race should be given to Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, a step he said would end the election. Writing on Truth Social, Trump called the challenger Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher with the same name as the incumbent, the "Fake Dan Sullivan." He also referred to another "slug," apparently Republican Gerald Heikes. Jeff Feldman, a University of Washington law professor, told Newsweek that no legal mechanism allows this under Alaska's ranked-choice system. Democrat Mary Peltola was leading in incomplete returns, and a New York Times analysis suggested she was on track to win. The Associated Press had Sullivan behind by 637 votes with 75% counted Thursday morning. The Justice Department has sought to intervene over alleged voter confusion and sent target letters to Democratic operatives.
Right-leaning outlets focus on the name-alike candidate. The New York Post leads with campaign finance records showing that Karen Dillman, treasurer for Daniel J. Sullivan and his wife, gave small donations to Peltola in 2022, 2024 and August 2026, and it calls him "Decoy Dan." The Blaze cites the AP's 637-vote deficit and Sullivan's confidence, and it describes alleged cheating. Neither mentions Trump's proposal or the legal objections in the excerpts. The left-leaning New York Times leads with Trump's "fresh aim" at Alaska and with Peltola's lead and projected win, giving less weight to the decoy allegations. Axios and Newsweek, alternative outlets, report Trump's post directly, and Newsweek adds the legal expert's rejection.
How the sides differ Right sources stress the 'Decoy Dan' scheme and a candidate's Peltola-donor ties; left sources stress Peltola's lead; alternative sources add Trump's proposal and a legal expert's rebuttal.
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The New York Times pairs Trump's renewed attack on Alaska's count with Peltola's lead over Sullivan in incomplete returns and its own analysis that she is on track to win.
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Axios and Newsweek report Trump's Truth Social proposal and the Justice Department's activity; Newsweek adds a law professor saying Alaska election law does not allow the vote transfer.
The New York Post highlights campaign finance records tying the other Sullivan's wife to Peltola donations; The Blaze stresses Sullivan's confidence, the 637-vote deficit and alleged cheating.