Alaska governor orders investigation into Peltola's campaign amid candidate recruitment claims

Mary Peltola's campaign, the Democratic candidate running against Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan in Alaska’s Senate race, was involved in efforts to recruit another person named Dan Sullivan to run as a third-party candidate. This attempt aimed to confuse voters and potentially sway the election outcome, which could determine control of the U.S. Senate. The New York Times reported that texts between Peltola's campaign members discussed recruiting such a candidate. Election authorities initially tried to disqualify this second Dan Sullivan but failed, leading to both candidates with similar names appearing on the ballot. President Donald Trump has since called for votes cast for the independent Dan Sullivan and another "slug" candidate to be given to the Republican incumbent, declaring the election over.