Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan is accusing Democratic challenger Mary Peltola and people associated with her campaign of helping place a same-name candidate on the state’s ranked-choice Senate ballot, according to a widely shared post that includes his recent remarks. Sullivan has described the move as an attempt to confuse voters and called for scrutiny, while Alaska’s governor has ordered an investigation. Online users have reacted strongly to the claims, with many calling for further probes and accountability as the race continues. Peltola has previously denied knowledge of any such effort.
The video shows Sen. Dan Sullivan speaking during a Fox News interview about his opponent, Mary Peltola. In the footage, Sullivan says, “My opponent, Mary Peltola, talks a lot about D.C. corruption. This is the ultimate in D.C. corruption.” He continues, “Their first order of business literally is to say, ‘ How can we rig the system in Alaska, cheat Alaskan voters,” and later states, “There’s no way that she didn’t know about it. … at its worst it’s disdain for us Alaskans.”
The Justice Department has issued subpoenas and document-preservation requests as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into the controversy. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has also ordered a separate state investigation into whether the alleged recruitment effort violated Alaska law. No one involved in the race has been charged with a crime.
New York Times also reported on a ‘ballot composition project’ involving efforts to recruit candidates, including another Dan Sullivan. Sen. Sullivan has pointed to reported text messages and staff involvement while accusing Peltola’s campaign of participating in the effort.
Peltola has separately said she “knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent” and that she is “not interested in tricking voters.” The clip does not make it clear what happened before or after the interview segment shown.
How Viewers Are Responding to Sen. Dan Sullivan’s Remarks
Some commenters supported Sullivan’s account and called for further action. One wrote, “Peltola all the way up to Chuck Schumer needs to be investigated and determined what part they played in Election Fraud Conspiracy! I want to see some punishment!”
Another said, “People are not stupid to not sense this. … I hope the democrat little dirty tactic, if proven, will have consequences,” while a third suggested, “Any vote for the FAKE Dan Sullivan should be given to the REAL Dan Sullivan! Easy peasy.”
Others questioned the framing or legality of the claims. One asked, “What law was allegedly broken to get Dan Sullivan on the ballot?” A different user wrote, “Please show us your post condemning Florida for doing the same. We will wait.”
Another commented, “You know it’s not illegal, and it’s something republicans have done in the past, so spare us your BS outrage.” One reply simply stated, “More Republican *expletive*.”
It remains unclear how the claims and the ongoing investigations will affect the Alaska Senate race. The video continues to circulate as viewers respond to Sullivan’s remarks and the broader dispute over the ballot.
