Alaska Governor Orders Senate Race Probe

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered the Department of Public Safety to investigate the state's U.S. Senate race on Wednesday night. The directive came after a New York Times report alleged that Democratic operatives recruited a non-incumbent candidate named Dan Sullivan to confuse voters. The probe will determine if state laws were violated and whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted.

The controversy centers on two candidates sharing the same name on the ballot. Dan Sullivan is the Republican incumbent. A second Dan Sullivan, a Democrat, is also running. Republicans have long suspected that Democrats supported the second Sullivan to siphon support from the incumbent. The New York Times based its reporting on interviews and communications involving Mary Peltola's attorneys and advisers, as well as senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Mary Peltola, the Democratic challenger and former congresswoman, has sought to flip the seat. She and the DSCC have denied involvement in the second Sullivan's candidacy. Both reiterated those denials after the report published. Peltola called the story a distraction while campaigning on Wednesday. The non-incumbent Sullivan did not respond to requests for comment from Alaska Public Media. He has previously stated that running for the Senate was his own decision.

The timeline of the dispute began in the state's nonpartisan primary. Alaska's system sends the top four vote-getters to the general election. The second Sullivan advanced through this process. In June, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that he could appear on the general election ballot. State officials had already probed the dual candidacies before that ruling.

The dispute escalated last week when the Trump administration's Department of Justice filed a legal motion. The DOJ asked a court to delay certification of the election if the incumbent Sullivan lost by a small margin. The legal effort cited potential voter confusion caused by the second name on the ballot. Election law experts broadly derided the case as weak, noting that the Constitution grants states control over elections.

On Thursday, Justice Department officials said the New York Times story expanded their options for investigating the race. They filed an amended complaint citing the new reporting. Republicans moved quickly to use the news. Nate Adams, a spokesperson for Sen. Sullivan, said in a statement that Peltola and her campaign spent months denying a scheme they were running. President Donald Trump posted online that the findings represented voter fraud at the highest level.

Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, noted that trickery is common in politics. She co-authored a book on dirty tricks in campaigns. Kamarck told NPR that the internet makes it easy to spread both tricks and corrections. She described such maneuvers as standard fare for campaigns. At times, major-party advisers seek to boost third-party candidates to undercut the other major party's candidate.

Some voters in Alaska compared the reporting to Republican group spending on a Democrat who is a federal prisoner in New York. That candidate also appears on Alaska's U.S. House ballot. Residents expressed mixed reactions to the new reporting. Some were frustrated that attention was shifting from other issues. Others were skeptical that voters would be confused, noting that the ballot labels the incumbent as the Republican. The state uses a ranked-choice voting system for the general election. Voters could rank both Sullivans and not rank Peltola if they are confused. The ballot also includes a question on whether to keep the unique election system.

Election Day is days away. The outcome of this race could determine which party controls the U.S. Senate next year.