Democrats in Alaska and Washington, D.C., have been caught attempting to steal an election from incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan by confusing voters with a deliberate spoiler candidate.
The scheme involved recruiting Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher from a small fishing village in the Alaska Panhandle, to run as a Republican on the ballot. The goal was to siphon enough votes away from Senator Sullivan to secure victory for Democratic candidate Mary Peltola.
A federal complaint filed by the Department of Justice alleges that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. “decided to run for Senator in 2026 as a Republican with the intention of misleading supporters of Senator Sullivan into voting for him.” The complaint states that his candidacy was designed to reduce votes for Senator Sullivan and compromise ballot integrity.
According to internal communications uncovered by federal investigators, Mary Peltola’s campaign staff began efforts in the summer of 2025 to identify individuals named Dan Sullivan across Alaska. This led to the recruitment of Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., who expressed interest in running if it would assist Peltola. He described himself as someone “who hated Trump” and was willing to run for Mary Peltola.
The complaint notes that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. changed his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican shortly before the election while working with a Democratic consultant and voting for Democratic candidates in previous elections.
Elisa Rios, a former campaign manager who initially reported the scheme, retracted her claims after being asked to provide additional information.
Federal authorities seek to invalidate any election results where voters intended to support Senator Sullivan instead voted for Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. The Department of Justice filed a complaint on October 22, alleging that such actions would violate the state’s obligation to protect electoral integrity.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Peltola’s campaign have denied involvement in the scheme. However, internal communications reveal discussions about strategies, including the potential formation of a right-wing state party to challenge the incumbent.
Alaska’s nonpartisan primary system allows candidates to choose their party affiliation without party vetting, which facilitated Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.’s appearance on the ballot as a Republican.