Alaska officials investigate alleged spoiler-candidate effort in pivotal Senate race

Alaska officials investigate alleged spoiler-candidate effort in pivotal Senate race

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has ordered the state Department of Public Safety to investigate allegations that people associated with Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign sought to recruit candidates who could divert votes from Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. CBS News also reported that the Justice Department issued subpoenas related to the allegations. The controversy followed a New York Times investigation reporting that campaign staff and Democratic operatives discussed finding Alaskans named Dan Sullivan to enter the race. Dan J. Sullivan Jr., a retired educator from Petersburg, is on the ranked-choice ballot alongside the incumbent. He has said he entered the race independently. Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have denied recruiting him or other candidates. The Times based its account on interviews, messages and documents, including statements from Peltola’s former campaign manager. She later sought to retract her statements, while the newspaper said they were consistent with its other reporting. The Guardian and HuffPost noted that recruiting spoiler candidates, sometimes called ballot stacking, is not itself illegal. President Donald Trump called for Peltola’s removal from the ballotballot, and said his administration shouldfiled challengea lawsuit seeking to block certification if Sullivan loses. Dunleavy said investigators would determine whether Alaska law was violated and whether criminal charges or civil action were warranted. The dispute has intensified a close Nov. 3 race in which Alaska Native voting, declining salmon runs and regulation of industrial fishing have also featured prominently. Both Sullivan and Peltola have sought support from Alaska Native voters, who make up about one-fifth of the state’s population.