A New York Times investigation reported on October 28, 2026, that Democratic operatives and aides for Mary Peltola conducted a covert operation named the "ballot composition project" to recruit spoiler candidates in Alaska's U.S. Senate race. The effort included fielding Daniel J. Sullivan to siphon votes from incumbent Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan. The Justice Department filed a federal lawsuit to block election certification if voter confusion affects the outcome, while Donald Trump called for both Peltola and the second Sullivan to be removed from the ballot. Peltola's campaign and national Democratic groups deny involvement.
Democratic spoiler candidate recruitment operation
- ▪Democratic operative Jerid Kurtz used the alias "Zane" while traveling across Alaska to recruit conservative and independent candidates to run in the Senate election.
- ▪Senior aides for Mary Peltola and DSCC officials discussed establishing a new right-wing political party to draw conservative votes away from incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan before abandoning the plan in May 2026.
- ▪A New York Times investigation reported on October 28, 2026, that Democratic operatives and aides for Mary Peltola participated in an operation to recruit spoiler candidates in Alaska's U.S. Senate race.
- ▪The Democratic candidate recruitment effort was internally named the "ballot composition project" and began during the summer of 2025.
Responses from Mary Peltola's campaign
- ▪Mary Peltola's campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee denied recruiting any spoiler candidates into Alaska's U.S. Senate race.
- ▪Mary Peltola's former campaign manager Elisa Rios stated that Mary Peltola was not directly involved in recruiting spoiler candidates but was aware of the recruitment efforts.
- ▪Elisa Rios requested that The New York Times retract her statements, but the publication declined, citing corroborating text messages, documents, and independent interviews.
David Leslie's withdrawal from the race
- ▪Democrat David Leslie's withdrawal from the Alaska Senate race allowed candidate Gerald Heikes to claim the fourth position on the general election ballot.
- ▪Democratic candidate David Leslie withdrew from the Alaska Senate race
Daniel j. Sullivan's background and entry
- ▪Daniel J. Sullivan has consistently maintained that he entered the Alaska U.S. Senate election independently without outside direction.
- ▪Daniel J. Sullivan is a retired schoolteacher from Petersburg, Alaska, who entered the state's U.S. Senate race in May 2026 after switching his voter registration to Republican.
Ballot designation of the two Sullivans
- ▪Alaska election authorities distinguish the two namesakes on the ballot by listing the incumbent as "Sullivan, Dan S. (Registered Republican) Incumbent" and the challenger as "Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr."
- ▪On Alaska's general election ballot, challenger Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. is listed directly above incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan.
Justice Department lawsuit over election certification
- ▪The U.S. Justice Department filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Anchorage to block certification of Alaska's Senate election results if voter confusion between two candidates named Dan Sullivan impacts the outcome.
- ▪Alaska state election officials filed court documents arguing that the U.S. Justice Department lacks constitutional authority over state ballot qualification rules.
- ▪U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason fast-tracked consideration of motions to dismiss the Justice Department's lawsuit over Alaska's Senate race ahead of Election Day on November 3, 2026.
Donald Trump's reactions and intervention
- ▪Donald Trump acknowledged ordering the U.S. Justice Department to file its lawsuit against Alaska election officials.
- ▪Donald Trump stated on social media that both Democratic candidate Mary Peltola and challenger Daniel J. Sullivan should be removed from Alaska's election ballot.
- ▪Donald Trump accused Democrats on social media of committing perjury by making false statements under oath in federal court.
Early voting timeline and turnout
- ▪Nearly 60,000 early or absentee ballots were cast in Alaska's 2026 midterm election prior to October 28, 2026.
- ▪Early voting in Alaska's 2026 midterm election began on October 19, 2026.
Alaska primary and election rules
- ▪Under Alaska's ranked-choice election system, voters can rank multiple candidates in order of preference, transferring votes from eliminated lower-tier candidates to subsequent selections.
- ▪Alaska's open primary election system allows all political candidates to claim party affiliations without vetting from state or national political parties.
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