Alaska Governor Orders Criminal Election Probe

The 2026 U.S. Senate race in Alaska has entered a new phase of legal scrutiny. On Thursday, Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a criminal investigation into claims of ballot manipulation. The probe follows a report in The New York Times linking the effort to the campaign team of Rep. Mary Peltola.

Dunleavy announced the directive in a post on X. He stated that the reporting reveals organized efforts to recruit candidates with names similar to incumbents. His goal, according to the governor, was to confuse voters and misdirect their votes. He noted that the Alaska Division of Elections had already reviewed these concerns in June. Dunleavy said the new evidence substantially supports the division's prior findings.

The governor is directing the Department of Public Safety to determine if state law was broken. He will decide whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted based on the investigation. The Republican governor emphasized that Alaskans have a fundamental right to vote for their intended candidate. He added that those found to have broken the law must face accountability.

The controversy centers on two candidates with similar names on the ranked-choice ballot. Incumbent Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan faces a challenge from Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr. The latter is a retired teacher with no party affiliation. The New York Times reported that Peltola's team worked with individuals trying to recruit Daniel J. Sullivan. The paper alleged the group also sought to add other candidates to dilute support for the incumbent.

The issue has already reached federal court. On Oct. 22, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit. The suit seeks to delay certification of the election results if Sen. Dan S. Sullivan loses. The delay would allow time to investigate whether votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan changed the outcome. The DOJ aims to ensure that voters mistakenly selected the wrong candidate.

Sen. Sullivan criticized his opponent on a Wednesday night interview with Sean Hannity. He described Peltola as a far-left candidate with little to run on. He noted that she has not apologized for the situation. Sullivan said she is acting as if nothing happened. Peltola's campaign denied involvement in a statement to The New York Times. The Alaskans for Mary campaign said it did not recruit any candidates into the race.