The Aporia · The Law and Democrats Allegedly Recruiting Second "Dan Sullivan" to Run in Alaska Senate Race

Election law expert Rick Hasen discusses claims made by The New York Times suggesting that Democrats associated with Alaska U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola and Democratic officials recruited a second "Dan Sullivan" to run against incumbent Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan, aiming to siphon votes from the incumbent. Hasen explores potential legal implications but finds them unlikely, arguing that such actions are generally considered within political norms despite their controversial nature. He also notes that Alaska's ranked-choice voting system mitigates the intended effect of splitting votes between the two candidates named Dan Sullivan.

Written by AI on 2026-10-29, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

Mary Peltola's campaign, running for the U.S. Senate seat in Alaska against incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan, was involved in efforts to place another candidate named Dan J. Sullivan on the ballot to confuse voters. According to reports from The New York Times and other outlets, text messages between members of Peltola’s team discussed recruiting individuals with the same name as their opponent. Election authorities attempted to disqualify the second Dan Sullivan but failed to do so in time for the election.

The plan also reportedly involved creating a third-party "MAGA party" to siphon votes from incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan, though this idea was eventually abandoned. The race is seen as crucial because it could determine which party controls the Senate, with Democrats currently holding 47 seats compared to Republicans' 53.

On election day and in the immediate aftermath, Republican supporters expressed concern that they might have mistakenly voted for "Decoy Dan" Sullivan instead of incumbent Senator Dan S. Sullivan, raising fears about potential vote confusion. The New York Times investigation also revealed efforts by a Democratic PAC to send voter guides replacing Sen. Dan Sullivan with the spoiler candidate.

Incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan has accused Democrats of engaging in election cheating, highlighting this as one of the most significant election controversies in Alaska's history.

Written for “Alaska Senate Race Controversy” on 2026-11-04, grounded in this article and the 101 other(s) covering the same event.

📰 Alaska Senate Race Controversy

Politics · 102 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

This article reads unscored and hedges 42% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign reportedly recruited second Dan Sullivan in Alaska Senate race Same event

The Guardian

Hedges 2 of 26 claims Outlet record 66/100

Breaking down the report alleging Mary Peltola's campaign recruited a second Dan Sullivan in Alaska Same event

CBS News

⚖️ Leans right Hedges 1 of 3 claims Outlet record 65/100

Peltola campaign under fire after report it recruited 2nd Dan Sullivan in Senate race Same event

ABC News (US)

Hedges 3 of 23 claims Outlet record 67/100

Democrats pushed to get second Dan Sullivan on Alaska ballot with Peltola's help, NYT reports Same event

CBS News

⚖️ Leans right Hedges 1 of 2 claims Outlet record 65/100

Dem strategist shrugs off Alaska ballot scandal on MS NOW, insists 'this stuff happens all the time' Same event

Fox News

Hedges 3 of 24 claims Outlet record 68/100

JASON CHAFFETZ: Democrats tried to trick Alaska voters. Peltola must answer Same event

Fox News

⚖️ Leans strongly right Hedges 1 of 31 claims Outlet record 68/100

Alaska governor orders probe into Democratic campaign's alleged links to same-name candidate Same event

BBC News

Hedges 3 of 31 claims Outlet record 68/100

Alaska GOP officials angered by controversy over two candidates named Dan Sullivan Same event

CBS News

Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 65/100

Alaska Democrat Peltola scouted man with same name as opponent Dan Sullivan to run, NYT report says Same event

CBS News

⚖️ Leans right Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 65/100

'Decoy Dan' Sullivan case leads top senator to break four-year X silence: 'Pattern of Lies' Same event

Fox News

Hedges 5 of 17 claims Outlet record 68/100

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Election law expert and UCLA Prof. Rick Hasen (Election Law Blog) has a post about this; an excerpt: asserted

Hasen → have → excerpt

Today's New York Times story, if true, strikes me as a political bombshell: despite public denials of a connection, people associated with Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Alaska Mary Peltola and Democratic Party officials recruited the second "Dan Sullivan" to run against the incumbent Republican U.S. Senator from Alaska, Dan S. Sullivan. asserted

people → strike → Alaska

The hope would be to siphon votes away from Sullivan. asserted

hope → siphon → Sullivan

(As a political play, I'm skeptical that this would work, given Alaska's ranked choice voting approach would allow ranking both Dan Sullivans as 1 and 2, thereby not helping Peltola. asserted

approach → work → Peltola

To begin with, I don't think it has any bearing at all on the current litigation in which the U.S. Department of Justice seeks to delay certification of the race if Dan S. Sullivan narrowly loses on grounds of purported voter confusion. asserted

Sullivan → begin → confusion

The lawsuit is not going anywhere for any number of reasons, but even assuming DOJ's theory that it can sue to block certification, it is irrelevant as to why voters might face confusion over the two Dan Sullivans. uncertain

voters → go → Sullivans

(This has not stopped DOJ from now supporting DSCC intervention so that it can get discovery over a potential "conspiracy"). asserted

it → stop → conspiracy

[Disclosure: I will soon be filing a motion to file an amicus brief on my own behalf supporting the State of Alaska in this case. asserted

I → file → case

] Second, if there is any evidence that anyone lied under oath about the cooperation between Democrats and Dan J. Sullivan, that could be grounds for a perjury prosecution. uncertain

that → be → prosecution

Third, this leaves the question whether this could be prosecuted as some kind of conspiracy against voters. uncertain

this → leave → voters

To begin with, it is regular practice for people to support candidates for bad motives: Republicans boosting Greens and Democrats boosting Libertarians. asserted

Democrats → begin → Libertarians

It turns out that Elon Musk alone may have bankrolled left-leaning Cornel West's quest to get on the 2024 presidential eiection ballot. uncertain

Musk → turn → ballot

From the Times's story: "Ballot-stacking tactics are common in politics and generally considered legal — and have been employed by both parties in Alaska. asserted

tactics → stack → Alaska

But this operation, which has not been reported before, reveals the lengths to which Democrats went to seek advantage in a Senate race that could determine control of the chamber." uncertain

that → report → chamber

This is a case about someone running for office with impure motives who is lucky enough to have a name that could confuse some voters. uncertain

that → run → voters

The solution to this problem is counterspeech (as in: "Don't vote for J.! Vote for the real Senator Daniel S. Sullivan".) asserted

solution → vote → Sullivan

I don't see how the government could criminalize his running for office for having impure motives. uncertain

government → see → motives

And if it could do so, then it could be a crime every time that the Republican Party backs a Green Party candidate, or Democrats support a MAGA candidate in a primary in the hopes that the candidate would be weaker against a Democrat in the general election. uncertain

candidate → do → election

This stuff happens all the time…. asserted

stuff → happen → ?

The Law and Democrats Allegedly Recruiting Second "Dan Sullivan" to Run in Alaska Senate Race

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