Forty-two Democratic officials who endorsed Senate candidate Mary Peltola did not respond to questions about an alleged effort to confuse Alaska voters by recruiting a candidate with the same name as Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, according to a report published Saturday.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
WASHINGTON — Forty-two prominent Democrats, including U.S. senators, House members and governors, declined to respond to requests for comment about allegations that political operatives associated with Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola recruited another candidate named Dan Sullivan to appear on Alaska’s November ballot, according to a report published Saturday, Oct. 31.
The controversy follows a New York Times investigation that identified communications and testimony suggesting individuals connected to Peltola’s campaign participated in efforts to recruit a candidate sharing the name of Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, potentially drawing votes away from the incumbent in Tuesday’s closely watched Senate election.
According to Fox News Digital’s investigation, reporters contacted 42 Democratic lawmakers and governors who had endorsed Peltola, asking whether they would condemn the alleged effort to mislead voters. None responded before the report was published.
The lack of responses drew particular attention because several of the officials have previously emphasized the importance of election integrity, voting rights and protecting democratic institutions.
Among those contacted were Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, Sens. Adam Schiff of California, Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Cory Booker of New Jersey, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Mark Kelly of Arizona, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan.
Fox News also sought comments from Sens. Alex Padilla, Maggie Hassan, Catherine Cortez Masto, Angela Alsobrooks, Andy Kim, Brian Schatz, Ed Markey, John Hickenlooper, Jon Ossoff, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Michael Bennet, Ruben Gallego and Tammy Duckworth.
The outreach included Democratic House members Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Pramila Jayapal, Chris Pappas, George Whitesides, Brittany Pettersen, Eric Sorensen, Mike Levin, Hillary Scholten, Jared Huffman, Josh Harder, Sarah McBride, Jonathan Nez and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.
Other officials contacted included Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown and Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford.
Peltola’s campaign also did not respond to Fox News’ latest inquiry, although it has previously denied participating in the alleged recruitment effort.
The dispute centers on Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher from Petersburg, Alaska, who is running in the state’s U.S. Senate election against incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola.
The two candidates share the name Dan Sullivan, creating concerns that voters could inadvertently select the wrong candidate.
Alaska’s ballot distinguishes the incumbent as “Sullivan, Dan S.” and identifies the other candidate as “Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.”
The controversy escalated Wednesday when The New York Times reported on communications and interviews indicating that Democratic operatives and individuals associated with Peltola’s campaign had discussed recruiting candidates who could draw support away from the Republican incumbent.
The investigation found that a campaign staff member had been instructed to search Alaska voter records for individuals named Dan Sullivan.
According to Reuters’ account of the investigation, the reported effort involved campaign aides, attorneys and political operatives associated with national Democratic organizations.
Former Peltola campaign manager Elisa Rios told the newspaper that the public deserved to understand how the additional candidacy developed.
“Alaskan voters need to know,” Rios said. “There was a lot of speculation, and voters should get the full picture when making their decisions.”
Peltola has denied knowing about or participating in the recruitment effort.
Her campaign has maintained that it “has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign,” while the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has denied involvement in recruiting the second Sullivan.
Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. has also previously denied coordinating with Peltola’s campaign.
The Alaska Democratic Party has similarly rejected allegations of organizational involvement.
The allegations have nevertheless prompted legal proceedings and investigations at both the federal and state levels.
On Oct. 22, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent Alaska from certifying the Senate election results under specific circumstances.
The federal government argues that certification should be delayed if incumbent Sullivan loses and the number of votes received by Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. could have affected the outcome.
The Justice Department subsequently expanded its legal arguments following publication of the New York Times investigation.
On Friday, Oct. 30, federal prosecutors requested a preliminary injunction that would prevent certification under those circumstances while potential voter confusion is examined.
The Justice Department has also begun a criminal investigation into the alleged recruitment operation.
According to CBS News reporting, federal authorities issued subpoenas to individuals believed to have information about the effort, including Democratic officials potentially associated with the recruitment.
No criminal charges have been announced against Peltola, the second Sullivan or other individuals connected to the allegations.
The legal challenge faces significant obstacles because election ballots are secret and determining whether a voter intended to support one candidate rather than another is inherently difficult.
Legal experts have questioned whether the federal government can establish that any votes were cast mistakenly, particularly when both candidates appear under their registered names.
Alaska officials have also argued that the state maintains procedures for informing voters about candidates and administering elections.
The state’s Supreme Court previously allowed Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. to remain on the ballot following litigation over his candidacy.
Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy has separately called for an investigation into whether the recruitment effort violated Alaska election laws.
The governor said the reported communications raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the second Sullivan’s candidacy and whether additional information remained undisclosed.
The dispute also has political implications beyond Alaska, where the Senate race is part of a nationwide contest that could determine control of the chamber.
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority, with Democrats seeking to gain seats in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Fox News framed its questions to Democratic officials against their previous public statements concerning voting rights and democratic institutions.
In 2022, Blumenthal said that “voter suppression is poisonous, it is toxic to our democracy.”
Murphy argued in April 2025 that “those of us who believe that the threat to democracy is urgent” need to “act like it.”
Booker similarly stated in December 2016 that “protecting American democracy is a calling far higher than party politics.”
None of the three senators responded to Fox News’ request for comment about the Alaska allegations.
Fetterman, who has publicly disagreed with fellow Democrats on several issues, also did not respond.
The absence of responses does not establish whether the officials support or oppose the alleged recruitment tactic, but it leaves their positions on the controversy publicly unaddressed in the context of Fox News’ inquiries.
At least one Democratic candidate has publicly criticized such political strategies.
Iowa Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand told Fox News last Sunday that “both parties are doing it and neither party should be doing it,” describing the practice as “manipulating the political system.”
Sand’s remarks acknowledged that allegations involving strategically recruited candidates are not unique to one political party.
Republican and Democratic campaigns have previously faced scrutiny over efforts to encourage additional candidates to enter elections in ways intended to divide opposing voters.
Those strategies can raise questions about voter confusion, transparency and political ethics, although recruiting an otherwise eligible candidate is not automatically unlawful.
In Alaska, investigators must determine whether any activities violated election statutes rather than merely representing a controversial political strategy.
The state’s ranked-choice voting system further complicates the dispute because voters may rank multiple candidates in order of preference.
Under that process, votes can transfer between candidates as lower-ranked contenders are eliminated, making the consequences of an additional candidate more complex than in a conventional plurality election.
The FactCheck.org examination of the Alaska case detailed the distinction between allegations of deliberate voter confusion and evidence required to establish that particular ballots were affected.
Election officials must also consider whether federal intervention before certification is consistent with state election authority and established legal standards.
With Election Day scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3, the unresolved dispute has placed additional scrutiny on Alaska’s Senate race, the investigation into the second Sullivan’s candidacy and the Justice Department’s efforts to intervene in the certification process.
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