Alaska Senate Race Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Ballot Decoyy

The outcome of Alaska's U.S. Senate race could determine which party controls the chamber next year, and a Department of Justice lawsuit now seeks to block certification of the election if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan narrowly loses. A New York Times report alleging that Democratic operatives recruited a spoiler candidate to draw votes has been added to the filing, though NPR has not independently verified that reporting.

A federal judge in Anchorage is expected to rule as soon as Saturday on motions to dismiss the case. The state division of elections is among the parties asking the judge to throw the suit out. The Justice Department has also opened a parallel criminal investigation but has not identified what potential crimes it is examining.

Governor Mike Dunleavy has ordered a state agency to investigate whether the recruitment operation described in the Times report broke any laws. Legal experts interviewed for the report said they did not identify violations in what they read, noting that Alaska law does not consider a candidate's motives. One law professor characterized the DOJ case as a press release dressed up as a lawsuit and said he did not expect it to succeed on the legal merits.

The allegations have surfaced amid other ballot fights in Alaska. A Republican-aligned group spent money this year trying to place a Green Party candidate from Arizona on the Senate ballot, but he did not survive the state's top four primary. In 2024, the Republican Party went to court to defend the ballot access of Eric Hafner, a federal prison inmate in New York running as a Democrat against Mary Peltola for U.S. House. Hafner could not have held office while serving his sentence. This year, a Republican-affiliated super PAC attempted to place Hafner's mother on the Senate ballot as a Democratic contender, and she also lost in the primary.

A Republican National Committee spokesman said the current situation differs from those cases because the candidate shares a name with incumbent Dan Sullivan, creating potential voter confusion. Peltola supporters said they disapprove of the tactics described in the Times report but plan to continue voting for her. Amber McClelland, a Democrat in Anchorage, said recruiting a candidate to draw votes away from an opponent should not be accepted practice.

Peltola addressed the allegations in a speech Thursday night at a bar in Juneau, Alaska's capital. "I knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent," she said. "I am not interested in tricking voters." She continues campaigning this weekend.

Sullivan appeared on Fox News and said Peltola is lying and cheating. President Trump traveled to Alaska to campaign for Sullivan in a race tight enough to draw national attention.

The Justice Department lawsuit asks a federal judge to block certification of the election if Sullivan loses by a narrow margin.