Alaska governor orders investigation into alleged scheme to confuse voters in Senate race

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered the Department of Public Safety to investigate whether an alleged scheme revealed by the New York Times violated the law. According to Fox News, the plan was put together to create confusion among voters in the Senate race, less than a week before the vote.

According to the newspaper's report, reported by correspondent Madeleine Rivera, operatives tried for months to find as many candidates as possible to shuffle the race. Since the summer of 2025, a member of Mary Peltola's team, the Democratic opponent, would have received instructions from senior campaign advisors to locate people named Dan Sullivan, the name of the current Republican senator.

The text also mentions that a Democratic operative claims to have made contact with a Dan Sullivan who hated Donald Trump. Senator Dan Sullivan, who is seeking re-election, publicly demanded that his rival “go public”. He accused the campaign of lying a year ago and using a scheme to deceive voters in the state.

Defense and cross accusation

In a statement, Peltola classified the episode as another distraction and a ploy by newspapers to sell subscriptions. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) responded with an accusation against the Republicans: it said the party has a history of attempts to boost its own campaign, including recruiting an inmate with a New York address to run against Peltola and spending half a million dollars to secure a spot on the ballot this cycle.

On the federal front, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit last week to try to stop the certification of the election if Senator Sullivan loses. Attorney General Todd Blanche said everyone who reviewed the case concluded it was cheating and fraud, and that the candidate involved in the maneuver was not a real candidate.

Electoral effect in debate

Republican strategist Ashley Hayek, a guest on the program, assessed that the revelation should mobilize undecided voters "for sure" and transform the dispute into a turnout election. In her assessment, the left does not have its own agenda and tries to win through alternative means. Hayek also stated that the Justice Department pursues all possible legal avenues.

Presenter Todd Piro recalled that the latest poll shows Peltola seven points ahead of Sullivan and asked if the name confusion helps explain the result. Hayek answered yes: according to her, voters pay little attention and may not notice that there are two Dan Sullivans on the ballot. She also raised doubts about polls, which, in her view, would have been used to favor Democrats.

Hayek also cited that turnout drops 37% in mid-term elections and stated that Trump is the one who most mobilizes the Republican electorate. The president, in an excerpt shown, said that his rallies are full, with 25, 26 or 27 events in October alone. Hayek also said that the numbers have started to narrow in recent days.

What to watch out for

The case now depends on the conclusions of the state investigation and the progress of the Justice Department's action. According to Fox News, the result will be known on Tuesday, in a dispute that, according to the transcript, remains close. For the investor, the outcome is important because it defines the balance of the Senate, an instance that influences issues such as taxes and public spending, although the channel's coverage did not address direct impacts on the stock market, interest rates or the dollar.

Automatically translated from Portuguese.