NYT says Peltola's allies recruited namesake Dan Sullivan, and US Justice opens front in Alaska

The New York Times published a report that operators linked to Democrat Mary Peltola, a Senate candidate from Alaska, spent months recruiting candidates to take votes from Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, including a namesake. Peltola's campaign and the Democratic Senate Committee (DSCC) deny recruiting candidates, and the latter Sullivan claims to have entered the race on his own.

According to the newspaper, in the summer of 2025 a campaign staffer was instructed to meet as many people named Dan Sullivan in Alaska as possible. The NYT claims that the confusion could cost the senator votes, especially in the state's top-four primary and ranked-choice voting system. Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from a fishing village, ended up announcing his candidacy. On the ballot, the senator appears below him.

Sources, investigation and political reaction

The main source of the report is Alyssa Rios, Peltola's former campaign manager, who was fired in August during a staff shakeup. She said Peltola did not directly participate in the project but was "definitely aware." The NYT also cites interviews, text messages and documents prepared for a possible lawsuit against the campaign. According to guest John Yoo, a former member of the Department of Justice, Rios had called the newspaper to withdraw the report, which he classified as possible obstruction of justice. This point is the commentator's opinion, not established fact.

Fox News reported, based on two sources, that there is an ongoing criminal investigation and that grand jury subpoenas are expected to be issued in the coming days. The Justice Department did not comment. Last week, the body took action to block the certification of the result if Sullivan loses. Attorney General Todd Blanche said this is not about preventing certification, but about ensuring a full judicial process before it.

President Donald Trump said Peltola should resign from his candidacy and face criminal prosecution. The Alaska Supreme Court ruled in June that there was no basis in state law or the Constitution to remove the other Sullivan from the ballot. Peltola had called the government's action "clearly corruption" and a desperate attempt to stay in power.

What's at stake

According to Fox News, the dispute is a technical tie, according to the channel's most recent ranking, and more than 58,000 votes have already been cast. Democratic commentator Robert Wolf recalled that similar maneuvers occur on both sides and that the senator will appear on the ballot with the Republican party and the status of incumbent. The Fox report mentions that Republicans have already recruited candidates in other races.

For the investor, the outcome matters due to the balance of forces in the Senate, which influences the fiscal and tax agenda in Washington. There is also uncertainty about the legitimacy of the result and possible legal disputes after the election. The case remains in development and the accusations have not yet been proven.

Automatically translated from Portuguese.