Peltola says she did not know of rival Dan J. Sullivan on ballot
The Democrat claims ignorance of the spoiler candidate just days before the general election, while a federal judge weighs a civil suit challenging the results.
By Aisha Khan ·
Mary Peltola stated on Thursday that she had no knowledge of any other candidates on the Alaska Senate ballot besides herself and incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan. The Democratic candidate spoke during a rally in Juneau, aiming to clarify the situation days before the midterm election.
Peltola told supporters, "I just want to clear the air. I knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent. That is all I have ever known about." She added that she was not interested in tricking voters and expressed confidence that she could defeat the Republican incumbent.
The dispute centers on the presence of Dan J. Sullivan on the ballot, a Republican candidate who shares a similar name with the sitting senator. A New York Times report published Wednesday detailed how Peltola's campaign and aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee helped recruit him. The report described the move as an effort to create confusion for voters.
Former Peltola staffer Elisa Rios told the newspaper that Peltola was not directly involved in the recruitment but was "definitely aware." Peltola's campaign previously told ABC News it had no involvement with either Sullivan campaign. At a separate event on Thursday, Peltola dismissed the media coverage as a distraction.
President Donald Trump, who has labeled the situation election fraud, said Alaskans would need an IQ of 190 to understand the ballot. The statement came despite the ballot listing the incumbent as Dan S. Sullivan, a registered Republican, and the challenger as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. with no party affiliation. Trump made the remarks while appearing on a Kansas City radio show.
The Justice Department is issuing subpoenas as part of a criminal probe into the recruitment effort. The Trump administration also filed a civil lawsuit last week seeking to block the state from certifying the election results if Sen. Sullivan loses narrowly. A federal judge is expected to rule on that injunction in the coming days.
Sen. Dan Sullivan criticized the alleged strategy on Fox News, calling it a secret operation designed to trick Alaskans. In the primary, Peltola won 48% of the vote, Dan J. Sullivan received 2%, and Sen. Sullivan earned 43%.
Source: WPVI-TV
