Report Ties Democrats to Alaska’s Dan Sullivan Spoiler Bid

WHO:

CNN - Democratic nominee Mary Peltola’s staffers, lawyers, and other campaign-aligned operatives were reported by The New York Times to have recruited candidates intended to draw votes from Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan.

CNN - The recruited candidate was Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., who shares a name with Sen. Dan Sullivan.

CNN - Elisa Rios, Peltola’s former campaign manager and longtime aide, said Peltola was not directly involved but was “definitely aware.” Rios was fired during a campaign overhaul.

CNN - The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) told CNN it was “not involved with Dan J. Sullivan.” The Peltola campaign did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.

CNN - A Republican-aligned super PAC promoted a socialist third-party candidate in the Ohio Senate race. Republicans also promoted a Democrat running in Alaska who was in prison and had never been to Alaska.

CNN - President Donald Trump’s Justice Department was seeking to elevate the issue through a lawsuit.

Newsweek - The New York Times reported that Democrats were involved in recruiting Daniel J. Sullivan to run against Sen. Dan Sullivan.

Fox News - Legal scholars debated whether analysis of anonymous ballots could prove voter confusion in the Justice Department’s Alaska Senate race lawsuit.

WHAT:

CNN - Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. qualified for Alaska’s ranked-choice general-election ballot after placing in the top four in the primary; he received 2.5% of the primary vote.

CNN - The Times’ reporting contradicted prior denials of involvement by the Peltola campaign and the DSCC; both again denied involvement, and neither responded to the Times’ questions.

CNN - A New York Times/Siena poll showed Peltola leading Sen. Sullivan by 7 percentage points among likely voters and being viewed favorably by 50% to 42%. On primary day, she led him by 8 points.

CNN - Nearly 60,000 Alaskans had voted early or absentee, more than one-fifth of turnout in recent midterm elections.

CNN - Sen. Sullivan was the only candidate listed on the ballot as both a Republican and the incumbent.

WHERE:

CNN - The Senate race and ranked-choice election were in Alaska; the separate super-PAC activity was in Ohio.

Fox News - The Justice Department lawsuit concerned Alaska’s Senate race.

WHY:

CNN - The reported recruitment effort aimed to take votes from Sen. Sullivan. CNN said the spoiler candidate could affect the result if voters ranked him but not the senator, or ranked the senator behind Peltola.

HOW:

CNN - Alaska’s ranked-choice system allowed voters to rank both Sullivans, potentially allowing a ballot to count for the senator if the other candidate was eliminated. CNN reported that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.’s candidacy would likely matter only if the race were exceedingly close.

(UPDATED October 28, 2026 20:03 UTC)

Democratic nominee Mary Peltola’s campaign-aligned operatives reportedly recruited Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a candidate who shares a name with Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, in an effort to draw votes from the senator in Alaska’s ranked-choice election. Peltola’s former campaign manager said Peltola was not directly involved but was aware, while Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee denied involvement; Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. qualified for the ballot after receiving 2.5% in the primary. The Justice Department is pursuing a lawsuit over the race, where the other Sullivan could affect the outcome if voters rank him but not the senator, though his impact would likely matter only in an exceptionally close contest.