Peltola denies knowledge of 'any other candidate' on Alaska Senate ballot besides herself and incumbent Dan Sullivan
asserted
Peltola → deny → herself
"I am not interested in tricking voters," Pelota said.
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Pelota → trick → voters
Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola denied that she knew about an effort to recruit a candidate to be on the Alaska ballot with the same name as the Republican incumbent, Sen. Dan Sullivan.
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she → deny → incumbent
"I just want to clear the air.
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I → want → air
I knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent.
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I → know → me
That is all I have ever known about," Peltola said during a rally in Juneau, Alaska, on Thursday, according to an Associated Press video.
uncertain
Peltola → know → video
ABC News has asked the Peltola campaign to clarify whether she is denying knowledge of the reported recruitment effort to find a spoiler candidate.
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she → ask → candidate
Peltola later added, "I am not interested in tricking voters.
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I → add → voters
I know I can beat Dan Sullivan.
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I → know → Sullivan
"
Peltola's comments, just days before the high-stakes midterm elections, come after a New York Times report Wednesday that her campaign and senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee played a role in recruiting Dan J. Sullivan -- a Republican who almost has the same name as incumbent Sen. Sullivan -- as part of an effort to sow confusion and ultimately benefit Peltola's campaign.
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who → come → campaign
At a separate campaign event on Thursday, Peltola called the New York Times' report "just another distraction."
"It's another diversion.
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It → call → report
Every day, it's some new, you know, 'look over here' moment,” Peltola said in a social media video verified by ABC News.
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Peltola → know → News
Peltola’s campaign earlier this week told ABC News that it "has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign."
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it → tell → campaign
Former Peltola staffer Elisa Rios told the Times about the reported recruitment effort, saying Peltola wasn't directly involved but that she was "definitely aware."
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she → tell → effort
ABC News reached out to Dan J. Sullivan's campaign for comment on the New York Times' report earlier this week, but has not heard back.
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News → reach → report
Alaska courts evaluated the dispute over Dan J. Sullivan's candidacy and found nothing illegal about his bid to be on the ballot -- even if it was not entirely in "good faith" or an attempt to "confuse and mislead" as the Trump administration and Republicans contend.
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administration → evaluate → faith
On Friday morning, President Donald Trump, who has claimed Pelota has committed "election fraud," said Alaskans would need to have a "190 IQ" to understand the ballot with two Dan Sullivans, despite the ballot's clear distinctions between the two candidates' names and other distinctive marks like party affiliation and incumbency.
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Alaskans → claim → affiliation
On the general election ballot, Sen. Sullivan is listed as Dan S. Sullivan, a registered Republican, and it is noted that he is the incumbent.
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he → list → Sullivan
The other Sullivan is listed as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. with no party affiliation.
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Sullivan → list → affiliation
"You need about 190 IQ to figure out the ballot.
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You → need → ballot
They put a ballot down where they're talking about incumbent Republican and the other one.
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they → put → Republican
Most people don't know in Alaska, in a lot of other states too, what does incumbent mean?
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incumbent → know → what
They don't know what incumbent means," Trump said when he called into Kansas City's KMCO "Mundo in the Morning.
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he → know → Morning
"
Peltola won the primary by a larger margin than adding Dan J. Sullivan in could have made up for: 48% to 2%, respectively; Sen. Sullivan earned 43% of the vote in the primary.
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Sullivan → win → primary
The Justice Department has begun issuing a new wave of subpoenas stemming from an ongoing criminal probe of Democrats' alleged efforts to recruit Dan J. Sullivan, multiple sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
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sources → begin → News
The Trump administration filed a separate civil lawsuit last week seeking an injunction against the state certifying the results of its election in the event Sen. Sullivan narrowly loses, which a federal judge is expected to rule on in the coming days.
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judge → file → days
GOP Sen. Sullivan on Thursday criticized Democrats' alleged efforts to recruit another Dan Sullivan in the Senate race.
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Sullivan → criticize → race
Sen. Sullivan, on Fox News, claimed Peltola's campaign ran a "secret operation to put a fake Dan Sullivan on the ballot with the primary purpose, the only purpose, to trick Alaskans."
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campaign → claim → Alaskans
The Aporia
