A namesake candidate may have been recruited to siphon votes as Alaska governor orders investigation of Peltola camp, report says second Sullivan

Dunleavy orders state inquiry

Dunleavy announced Thursday that he was directing Alaska’s Department of Public Safety to investigate Peltola’s Senate campaign. His announcement followed a New York Times report published Wednesday about a candidate sharing Sullivan’s name.

The governor said investigators would assess whether the reported conduct broke state law and whether criminal charges or civil action should follow. He said the evidence would guide what happens next.

Report describes ballot effort

The Times reported that Peltola’s campaign recruited a candidate with the same name as Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. The reported goal was to dilute votes for Sullivan. Dunleavy, a Republican, called the report’s revelations disturbing and said those found to have broken the law should be held accountable. The report’s claims have not been established as a legal finding.

Former manager withdrew statements

The Times’ account included information from Elisa Rios, Peltola’s former campaign manager, who was fired in August. Rios later contacted the newspaper and retracted statements she had made about the 2026 Alaska Senate race, according to the Times.