Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso accused Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of coordinating with Mary Peltola’s campaign to recruit a second candidate named Dan Sullivan, allegedly intending to confuse Alaska voters and undermine the Republican incumbent ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., has accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of participating in an alleged yearlong effort to recruit a second candidate named Dan Sullivan into Alaska’s U.S. Senate race, claiming Democratic operatives deliberately sought to mislead voters and weaken Republican incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan.
The allegations follow an investigation by The New York Times that identified connections between Democratic political operatives, members of Mary Peltola’s Senate campaign and senior Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee officials in efforts to recruit candidates who could draw votes away from the Republican senator.
In an interview with Fox News Digital published Friday, Oct. 30, Barrasso accused Schumer of personally participating in the effort, characterizing the alleged recruitment operation as an attempt to manipulate one of the country’s closely watched Senate elections.
“I mean, this is criminal behavior to steal the Alaska Senate race, it’s now been fully exposed,” Barrasso said. “And there is proof that the Peltola campaign knew about it, and that Schumer schemed and colluded with them for over a year to try to search for and then coax a decoy of Dan Sullivan onto the ballot with a purpose only to deceive the voters.”
The accusation marks an escalation in the controversy surrounding Alaska’s Senate election, where Democratic nominee Peltola is challenging Sullivan in a contest that could affect control of the chamber.
Schumer’s office and Peltola’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has denied involvement in the recruitment operation.
The controversy centers on Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, Alaska, whose name closely resembles that of the incumbent Republican senator, Daniel S. Sullivan.
Both men qualified to appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot alongside Peltola and another candidate, Gerald Heikes.
The New York Times investigation published Oct. 28 reported that political operatives associated with Peltola’s campaign and national Democratic organizations had explored recruiting candidates who might draw support away from the Republican incumbent.
According to the investigation, the effort began during the summer of 2025, when a Peltola campaign staff member was instructed to search Alaska voter registration records for individuals named Dan Sullivan.
The objective, according to the reporting, was to find another person with the incumbent senator’s name who could be persuaded to enter the race and potentially attract votes intended for the Republican.
The project was reportedly discussed internally as a ballot composition effort.
Former Peltola campaign manager Elisa Rios told the Times that the operation involved individuals connected to the campaign and Democratic political organizations. She also alleged that Peltola knew about the recruitment effort, although the candidate did not directly participate in its execution.
The newspaper reported that its findings were based on interviews with 12 people familiar with the operation, along with text messages and documents concerning the recruitment activities.
The reporting identified political strategist Jerid Kurtz as an intermediary in efforts to encourage the retired teacher to run.
Kurtz reportedly communicated with individuals involved in the operation and helped connect the prospective candidate with political figures associated with the broader effort.
The New York Times investigation described participation by campaign attorneys and senior Democratic campaign staff but did not establish that Schumer personally directed the operation.
Barrasso nevertheless argued that the senator’s position as Democratic leader made him responsible for what he characterized as an organized attempt to deceive Alaska voters.
He accused Democratic operatives of treating voters as individuals who could be easily manipulated through the presence of similarly named candidates on the ballot.
Barrasso said the “Democratic campaign has secretly been making fun of Alaskan voters for being so easily tricked.”
“I mean, these people just are, you know, dirty, rotten scoundrels — cheaters,” Barrasso said.
“I mean, how more cynical can you get than what the Democrats have done here,” he continued.
The allegations have also drawn criticism from Alaska’s other Republican senator, Lisa Murkowski, who condemned efforts to recruit candidates for the purpose of influencing election results through voter confusion.
Murkowski addressed the controversy in a public statement on X, declaring that “ballot-stacking should have no place in our electoral process.”
“Alaskans deserve the honest truth from Mary and her campaign — what has been revealed is a pattern of lies and coverups and a culture of deception that belongs nowhere in our elections or among our elected officials,” she said.
The controversy has become particularly significant because Alaska conducts its general elections using a ranked-choice voting system.
Under that system, four candidates advance from an open primary to the general election. Voters may rank candidates by preference, and additional counting rounds are conducted if no candidate initially receives a majority.
The two candidates named Sullivan are identified differently on the ballot, but Republican officials argue that their similar names could confuse voters who do not recognize the distinction.
The incumbent is listed as Dan S. Sullivan, while the retired teacher appears as Dan J. Sullivan.
If a voter mistakenly selects the retired teacher instead of the incumbent, the effect on the final outcome would depend on the voter’s complete rankings and the ranked-choice counting process.
The situation has already generated legal challenges at both the state and federal levels.
Alaska election officials initially rejected the retired teacher’s candidacy, but the Alaska Supreme Court subsequently ordered that he be permitted to appear on the ballot after reviewing the applicable election requirements.
The state court determined that the candidate had satisfied the legal qualifications for ballot access.
Federal authorities have separately investigated allegations that Democratic operatives recruited candidates to manipulate the election.
The Justice Department has also filed litigation seeking to prevent certification of the Senate results under certain circumstances if the incumbent loses by a narrow margin.
Legal questions remain about whether recruiting a candidate for political advantage violates election laws when that individual satisfies the established requirements for running.
According to Reuters’ examination of the legal dispute, election law specialists have questioned whether the alleged recruitment operation would support criminal charges, distinguishing between political efforts to influence a ballot’s composition and deliberate unlawful interference with voters.
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a state investigation Oct. 28 into whether the reported activities violated election laws.
The following day, Dunleavy said the investigation’s findings could potentially affect certification of the election results, although Alaska law assigns formal certification responsibilities to the state’s election director.
Peltola has denied knowing about the recruitment effort and rejected suggestions that she participated in a scheme to mislead voters.
Speaking Thursday at an event in Juneau, the Democratic candidate addressed the allegations directly.
“I knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent,” Peltola said. “That is all I have ever known about. I am not interested in tricking voters. I know I can beat Dan Sullivan.”
Her remarks conflict with Rios’ account of the campaign’s knowledge of the operation, leaving unresolved questions about what Peltola knew and when she learned about the recruitment activities.
The DSCC has similarly maintained that it did not participate in the alleged scheme.
The allegations have emerged as national Republicans and Democrats focus considerable attention on Alaska’s Senate seat.
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 Senate majority, including the two independents who caucus with Democrats. Democrats would need a net gain of four seats to secure a majority outright in the Nov. 3 elections.
Peltola, a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, is seeking to unseat Sullivan in a state where ranked-choice voting and independent-minded voters have contributed to competitive statewide elections.
The Alaska Public Media report on the investigation confirmed that the Times had identified previously undisclosed recruitment activities involving operatives aligned with Peltola’s campaign.
Barrasso’s latest accusations extend beyond those reported findings by alleging that Schumer personally orchestrated or participated in the scheme.
No criminal charges have been announced against Schumer, Peltola or DSCC officials in connection with the recruitment allegations, and the available reporting has not independently established Schumer’s direct involvement.
The controversy remains under investigation as Alaska prepares to vote Tuesday, with both candidates named Sullivan still appearing on the general election ballot.
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