Key facts
- Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered a criminal investigation into Mary Peltola's Senate campaign.
- The investigation is to determine if election laws were violated by a scheme to confuse voters.
- The scheme allegedly involved recruiting a candidate named Dan Sullivan to run against incumbent Dan Sullivan.
- The New York Times reported on the alleged plan, citing former campaign staff and documents.
- Peltola's campaign has denied involvement in soliciting the candidate.
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy announced on October 14, 2026, that he is directing the Department of Public Safety to investigate whether the campaign of Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola violated state laws. The probe follows a report alleging that Peltola's campaign recruited individuals named Dan Sullivan to run against the incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, with the intent to confuse voters. Dunleavy stated that deliberately tricking voters undermines election integrity and that those found to have broken the law will be held accountable. The New York Times report detailed the alleged plan, which involved campaign staff and senior aides from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), citing interviews and internal documents. Peltola's campaign has previously denied soliciting or encouraging a candidate named Dan J Sullivan to run. President Donald Trump also condemned the situation, calling for Peltola to be removed from the ballot and prosecuted.