2026-10-29 · contested story

NYT reports Peltola allies recruited second Dan Sullivan; campaign denies it

On October 28, 2026, The New York Times published an investigation reporting that operatives aligned with Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola's campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee participated in a 'ballot composition project' to recruit a retired Petersburg teacher named Dan J. Sullivan—sharing the name of incumbent Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan—and other spoiler candidates into the race to dilute the incumbent's support. The report came days after Trump's DOJ sued to block certification of the race if Sullivan loses, and prompted Trump to call for Peltola's prosecution and removal from the ballot, Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy to order a criminal investigation, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski to condemn a 'pattern of lies.' Alaska's Supreme Court had already ruled in June that the second Sullivan could appear on the ballot, and ballot-stacking is generally legal; both Peltola's campaign and the DSCC denied involvement.

How each side frames it

left
"President Donald Trump admitted Friday that he personally ordered a Justice Department lawsuit seeking to block certification of the results of Alaska's upcoming Senate election."
"the Trump administration's attempt to overturn a Democratic victory that hasn't even happened yet will fail. But the mere existence of this new lawsuit... is an ominous sign"
"To paraphrase Churchill, the lawsuit is a nullity, wrapped in an absurdity, inside a press release."
"there's little doubt that this lawsuit is intended to cast doubt on the integrity of elections all over America"
"The less well known Sullivan denies any ill intent. He decided to run, he told the New York Times in August, because he was unimpressed with the current Sen. Sullivan's leadership"
center
"The newspaper's report noted ballot-stacking tactics are 'common in politics and generally considered legal — and have been employed by both parties in Alaska.'"
"Richard Briffault, law professor at Columbia University, told Newsweek the report 'does not affect the lack of any basis for federal intervention.'"
"Alaska Public Media has not independently confirmed the Times' reporting."
"'Not a single illegal thing happened here,' she said by text. 'Anyone has the right to strategically recruit candidates in a system where there is open ballot access.'"
"Yes, there are two Dan Sullivans on the ballot... it is highly plausible that schoolteacher Dan Sullivan entered the race to steal votes from people mistakenly believing they're voting for Senator Dan Sullivan."
right
"Mary Peltola and her campaign have spent months gaslighting Alaskans, denying a scheme they were running all along. We always knew this was a concerted effort to deceive Alaskans"
"Alaska governor orders probe of Mary Peltola Senate campaign over 'Decoy Dan' Sullivan scandal"
"the practice known as 'ballot-stacking' is legal — if ethically questionable — and it was not immediately clear what offenses Democrats may have committed."
"Credit where credit is due to Kellen Browning of the New York Times for a story reporting that of course Democrats have been lying all along"
"even has a magnet depicting notorious far-left revolutionary Che Guevara on his refrigerator."

What each side left out

The left left out — covered by the Jerusalem Post & Fox News & The National Desk & New York Post
The left left out — covered by the Newsweek & CBS News & CNBC
The right left out — covered by the Time Magazine & CNN & Election Law Blog
The right left out — covered by the MS NOW & Election Law Blog & CNN
The center left out — covered by the CNN & Fox News

What's actually true?

[verified] The New York Times reported that people aligned with Peltola's campaign and the DSCC worked to recruit Dan J. Sullivan and other spoiler candidates in a 'ballot composition project.'
[verified] Ballot-stacking / recruiting spoiler candidates is generally legal and has been used by both parties in Alaska.
[verified] Trump personally ordered the DOJ lawsuit, saying 'I'm the one that said do it.'
[verified] The Alaska Supreme Court ruled in June 2026 that Dan J. Sullivan could appear on the ballot, rejecting arguments for removal.
[verified] The DOJ lawsuit relies on the preamble of the National Voter Registration Act, which legal experts say gives no enforcement authority.
[verified] Elisa Rios, Peltola's fired former campaign manager, told the Times Peltola was not directly involved but 'definitely aware,' then tried to retract her statements before publication.
[verified] Dan J. Sullivan received 4,107 votes (about 2.4%) in the August primary, while Sen. Sullivan received over 68,000.
[verified] A pro-Peltola super PAC (49th State PAC) paid Wingspan Strategies, a firm co-owned by Jerid Kurtz, about $87,000, but the PAC denied paying Kurtz personally for services.

The narrative clash

Whether any law was broken by the Democratic recruitment effort
Left: Not a single illegal thing happened here. Anyone has the right to strategically recruit candidates in a system where there is open ballot access.
Right: an organized effort to manipulate Alaska's elections by recruiting candidates — including one with the same name as an incumbent U.S. Senator — to deliberately confuse voters and misdirect their votes... I am therefore directing the Department of Public Safety to investigate whether this scheme violated Alaska's laws
Whether voters can distinguish the two Sullivans on the ballot
Left: It is not going to be difficult to determine which Dan Sullivan... Because incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan, it's right there in parenthesis.
Right: I've had at least one person say they had to slow down to make sure they didn't make a mistake. And I can only imagine people who are less engaged in politics — I think it can be confusing
Peltola's involvement in the recruitment effort
Left: The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign and did not recruit any candidates into the race.
Right: Mary Peltola, her campaign, and her senior advisors colluded with the DSCC, national Democrat lawyers, and Alaska Democrat operatives to recruit candidates to deliberately deceive and confuse voters, and then repeatedly lied about it

118 sources analyzed

The New Republic Al Jazeera Newsweek New York Post Fox News The Daily Beast Los Angeles Times Yahoo Reason Magazine Fox News The Daily Beast NBC News The Jerusalem Post Richmond Times-Dispatch Fox News The Daily Beast The Guardian Poynter Investor's Business Daily The Daily Signal The Boston Globe NPR MS NOW Investor's Business Daily WORLD News Group HuffPost Los Angeles Times Alaska Public Media The Telegraph The National Desk The Daily Beast CNN The Free Press Investor's Business Daily Washington Examiner The New Republic Los Angeles Times BBC The Daily Signal Vox Global News TV Insider The Daily Signal Vox NPR CNBC National Review New York Magazine PBS NewsHour Time Magazine Fox News The New Republic Los Angeles Times WJLA City Journal The Boston Globe U.S. News & World Report Democracy Now! City Journal The Boston Globe PBS Juneau Independent City Journal Mother Jones CNN CBS News The Daily Signal The New Republic Los Angeles Times TODAY.com City Journal The Daily Beast NPR ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos Common Dreams Washington Monthly BBC Mother Jones CNN Courthouse News Vox PBS NewsHour The Presidential Prayer Team Salon CNN The Globe and Mail Salon PBS NewsHour Democracy Docket Mother Jones Robert Reich | Substack Financial Times The New Republic Politico Anchorage Daily News Common Dreams The Washington Post Gray TV Salon.com NPR Data For Progress Vox CNN The Independent Salon NPR Election Law Blog Salon CNN The Conversation Common Dreams AOL.com Mother Jones KTVF Fairbanks Common Dreams C-SPAN KOMO France 24

Perspectivity reads the coverage — not just who published it.

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