Alaska Senate race faces legal challenge over candidate with same name as incumbent

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit last week to halt the certification of Alaska’s Senate election results if Democrat Mary Peltola wins, pending an investigation into whether a rival candidate with the same name as the Republican incumbent confused voters. The legal move targets a specific claim that Peltola’s campaign recruited a retired teacher, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., to join the ballot. This action places the administration in direct opposition to a long-standing tactic in American politics where parties enlist third-party challengers to disrupt opponents.

The practice dates back to at least 1946. In Boston, a four-term city council member named Joe Russo faced a 27-year-old janitor with the same name in a Democratic primary for Congress. Supporters of the eventual winner, John F. Kennedy, recruited the younger Russo to split the vote. In the current Alaska contest, incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan competes against Peltola and two other candidates. One of those challengers is Sullivan Jr., a retired schoolteacher who has campaigned minimally.

Alaska Republicans have long suspected the second Sullivan was a Democratic plant. The Trump administration escalated the dispute after The New York Times reported that internal campaign texts indicated Peltola’s team recruited the candidate. President Donald Trump subsequently requested criminal charges against the Democrat. His Justice Department issued multiple subpoenas as part of a criminal investigation. Peltola and the Senatorial Democratic Campaign Committee have both denied involvement in the plan.

Critics argue the administration is using the Justice Department as a personal political tool. Historically, the department avoided open investigative actions within 60 days of an election. Recent activity includes a search of the home of Representative Ilhan Omar. The department defended its timing in a statement on Wednesday, claiming it is following the facts and the law rather than any political calendar. Justin Levitt, a former Justice Department official under President Biden, called the timing improbable given how common such tactics are. He noted that no conduct violating federal law has been publicized.

The administration’s own political operation has employed similar strategies. In Ohio, a group linked to the White House urged voters to support a socialist candidate to reduce votes for the Democratic challenger. In Nevada, a Republican-linked group promoted an independent gubernatorial candidate named Danielle Ford, matching the surname of the Democratic nominee. In 2020, Trump allies attempted to recruit Kanye West for a third-party presidential bid. The New York Times detailed that the effort to recruit Sullivan Jr. began in 2025, involving a Democratic strategist paid by a Peltola-backed organization.

Jason Torchinsky, a former Justice Department official and veteran campaign finance lawyer, stated that the Times report points to potential crimes related to the funding of the second Sullivan’s candidacy. He argued that Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system is particularly susceptible to manipulation. Any candidate can appear on the primary ballot by paying a $100 fee. The top four finishers advance to November, where voters rank their choices. Torchinsky described the current situation as proof of how ranked-choice systems can be manipulated by various actors.

Defenders of Alaska’s system argue it is harder to manipulate because voters can simply rank both Sulligans over Peltola. The Sullivan campaign encourages this strategy. In traditional systems, a third-party vote directly subtracts from a major party candidate. Republicans are currently concerned about Libertarian candidates siphoning votes in Senate races and often advocate for Green Party nominees who struggle to secure ballot access.

The use of identical names can carry criminal consequences. In Florida in 2020, a state Senate Democrat named Jose Javier Rodriguez lost his seat to a Republican by 32 votes after a third candidate, Alex Rodriguez, received 6,382 votes as an independent. A former Republican state senator, Frank Artiles, was later convicted of illegal campaign contributions and falsifying a candidacy form for his role in getting the second Rodriguez on the ballot. Artiles received a 60-day prison sentence. The winning Republican, Ileana Garcia, denied knowing about the plan and retains her seat. David Becker, director of the Center for Innovation and Research in Elections, expects a judge to quickly dismiss the Justice Department’s suit as frivolous.

The next step is the November 3 election. The outcome will determine control of the U.S. Senate. The legal battle over certification will proceed in parallel with the vote count. If Sullivan does not win, the court will decide whether the results stand or are delayed pending the criminal investigation's findings.