Alaska governor raises concern of ‘cover-up’ in Mary Peltola ballot scandal

As of October 29, 2026, Mary Peltola, the Democratic nominee for the Alaska Senate race, is facing scrutiny over her campaign's alleged involvement in recruiting a second candidate named Dan Sullivan to run against incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. According to reports by The New York Times and other outlets, this effort aimed to confuse voters and potentially siphon votes away from the incumbent senator. Peltola’s former campaign manager, Elisa Rios, told Time that the strategy involved identifying a candidate named Dan J. Sullivan who had previously voted Democratic but registered as Republican before filing his candidacy in Petersburg. The National Democrats have largely remained silent on the issue, leaving Peltola with little support amidst mounting criticism. Despite pressure from Republicans and media outlets to deny involvement outright, Peltola has not fully denied her campaign's role in the scheme, instead criticizing the press for coverage of the story.