US Vice President JD Vance accused Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola of trying to manipulate Alaska’s Senate race in her favor, after a New York Times investigation reported that members of her campaign were involved in efforts to recruit a candidate with the same name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan.
The controversy follows a New York Times investigation that detailed an alleged effort involving Peltola campaign aides to identify people named Dan Sullivan who might run against the incumbent Republican .
What the NYT report said
The newspaper reported that text messages and documents indicated that campaign aides, lawyers and staff linked to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee discussed efforts to recruit candidates who could draw votes away from the incumbent. One candidate, Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, Alaska, eventually entered the race. He shares a name with Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan, although the two candidates have different middle initials. The report suggested that the presence of another candidate with a similar name could create confusion among voters on Alaska’s four-candidate ballot. However, Peltola’s campaign denied involvement. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also denied involvement with Dan J. Sullivan. The candidacy had already faced legal challenges. Sullivan ineligible, finding that his candidacy had been filed with the purpose of confusing or misleading voters. The dispute reached the Alaska Supreme Court, which allowed him to remain on the ballot .
A Peltola campaign staffer received instructions in the summer of 2025 to find people named Dan Sullivan in Alaska , according to the report.
A spokesperson for Alaskans for Mary said the campaign had “no involvement with either Sullivan campaign”, according to ABC News .
An Alaska elections official previously ruled Dan J.
