Trump Targets Alaska Democrat After NYT Ballot Report

A retired teacher named Dan J. Sullivan appeared on the Alaska Senate ballot alongside incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan, triggering a federal dispute over ballot composition ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.

Donald Trump Demands Removal of Mary Peltola From Ballot

United States President Donald Trump demanded on social media that Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola be removed from the election list, following an investigative report published by The New York Times. Trump characterized the recruitment of a candidate sharing the incumbent’s surname as election fraud, writing on his platform Truth Social that Peltola should not be allowed to run after perpetrating what he termed a terrible scheme.

The White House asserted that the inclusion of Dan J. Sullivan was designed to confuse voters and split the Republican base. The DOJ requested a review of the outcome if Dan Sullivan loses to Mary Peltola by a margin smaller than the total votes received by Dan J. Sullivan, explaining that supporters of senator Sullivan might accidentally vote for the third-place candidate. When questioned, the Alaska election commission stated it would investigate the complaint while focusing on organizing the upcoming elections.

President Trump intensified his criticism of Mary Peltola after reports detailed the recruitment efforts, and he suggested in social media posts that she should face both legal and political consequences, though he provided no direct evidence linking her or her advisers to law violations. On 23 oktober, President Trump also ordered the removal of the 50% tariff on certain Canadian products—including plywood, specific paper products, certain refrigeration installations and equipment, packaging boxes and containers, and Canadian seaweed—after Senator Susan Collins from Maine urged the White House to lift import duties affecting businesses and farmers in Maine. These changes took effect on 30 oktober. Observers noted that if the Democratic Party wins a majority in the Senate or the House of Representatives, it will be difficult for Trump to execute his agenda for the remainder of his term.

The New York Times Investigation Into Ballot Stacking

The New York Times reported that Peltola’s campaign team and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) actively sought out candidates named Dan Sullivan to complicate the reelection bid of the sitting Republican senator. This practice, known as ballot-stacking, is not inherently illegal under U.S. election rules, and the Alaska Supreme Court previously approved the candidacy of Sullivan Jr.

According to documents, text messages, and statements from a dismissed campaign leader, a Democratic campaign strategist persuaded Dan J. Sullivan, a retired Republican teacher, to enter the race. The strategy aimed to distribute conservative votes across multiple candidates in a neck-and-neck race that could determine control of the U.S. Senate.

Denials and Competing Campaign Reactions

Peltola’s campaign distanced itself from both candidates with the surname Sullivan, while the DSCC also denied playing any role in recruiting the retired teacher.

Trump Tariff Exemptions Protect Susan Collins

The presidential decree signed by Donald Trump exempted specific Canadian goods from the 50% tariff to support Republican Senator Susan Collins from Maine just days before the midterm elections. Meanwhile, political analysts observed that control of the U.S. Senate remains fiercely contested, with Alaska standing out among traditionally Republican states for an unusually tight race driven in part by voter discontent over living costs during Trump’s tenure, while other recent developments included activist hackers leaking data of over 40,000 U.S. officials and another incumbent Republican senator, Lisa Murkowski, announcing she would vote for Peltola.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Alaska Senate Race