Alaska Governor Orders Probe Into $0 Cost Senate Ballot Confusion

Alaska voters will face a ballot with two candidates named Dan Sullivan on Tuesday. One is the incumbent Republican senator, Dan S. Sullivan. The other is Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher from a remote fishing village. The state’s ranked-choice voting system allows voters to rank both men, creating a potential path to confusion in one of the nation’s tightest midterm races.

Governor Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, ordered the Department of Public Safety to investigate whether a criminal or civil violation occurred. He cited a New York Times report claiming that Mary Peltola’s campaign worked with aides from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to recruit the teacher for the Senate race. The goal, according to the newspaper, was to dilute the incumbent’s support by introducing a same-name spoiler candidate.

Dunleavy stated that the reporting supported earlier findings by the state Division of Elections. He did not name Peltola’s campaign in his directive. The governor wrote that the evidence would determine the next steps in the case.

Senator Dan S. Sullivan called the situation a scandal of the highest order. He urged Peltola to come clean on the matter. His colleague, Senator Lisa Murkowski, accused the Democratic side of engaging in a pattern of lies. President Donald Trump used social media to argue that Peltola should be barred from the race. His administration has also filed a legal case to prevent the certification of results if the incumbent loses, citing ballot confusion.

Peltola’s team denies any wrongdoing. A spokesperson for Alaskans for Mary said the candidate is fighting to lower costs for residents. The DSCC also denied involvement in the scheme. The retired teacher, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., told the New York Times in August that he ran in good faith as a moderate Republican, despite having voted for Peltola in previous elections. He denies links to her campaign.

The New York Times based its report on text messages and interviews with 12 people involved in or aware of the plan. The Alaska Supreme Court previously rejected Republican efforts to remove the teacher from the ballot. Peltola paused her campaign earlier this week to recover from minor injuries sustained in a car crash.

The election outcome will help determine which party controls Congress. The presence of two Sullivans on the ballot may delay the final picture of nationwide results.