Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Susan DelBene struggled to answer questions about Alaska Democrat Senate nominee Mary Peltola’s effort to win her election by tricking voters.
During an interview on CNN, the host asked about a New York Times report detailing how members of Peltola’s campaign recruited a candidate with the same name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan to run for the seat. The objective is to confuse Sullivan voters so they vote for the fake Sullivan at the polls.
“The New York Times has done exhaustive reporting on the connections to people that you campaign for,” the host said. “Just in general, does it bother you when you see what looks like shenanigans happening in any field?”
DelBene tried to wriggle her way out of the question by deflecting. “What Republicans have been doing across the country since the very beginning—”
“If it's bad for them, is it bad for Democrats too?” the host pressed.
“No, this— the Peltola campaign has denied that that happened,” DelBene replied. “And— but we can't deny what we have seen happen from Republicans on the ground every day this cycle.”
DCCC Chair Susan DelBene gets called out over Mary Peltola recruiting candidates named ‘Dan Sullivan’ to mislead voters. CNN: The New York Times has done exhaustive reporting. Does it bother you? DELBENE: "The Peltola campaign has denied that." https://t.co/cJNzJDf48r
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 30, 2026
If that’s the best response that Democrats can muster, Peltola might be cooked.
The New York Times report detailed how Peltola received unusual instructions from top campaign aides to find as many people named Dan Sullivan in Alaska as possible by combing through voter records.
The initiative, which the campaign called the “ballot composition project,” involved secret trips to far-flung Alaskan communities and a Midwestern operative named Jerid Kurtz, who used a fake name and pitched the scheme to potential candidates over beers at brewpubs.
The plan hit pay dirt when Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from a tiny fishing village, announced his candidacy in the spring. He appears on the ballot as “Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.” along with Dan S. Sullivan, to confuse voters in a way that would dilute votes for the real candidate.
BREAKING: NYT reports that operatives with Democratic Alaska U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign were behind the effort to find & recruit a candidate named Dan Sullivan to run against incumbent GOP Senator Dan S. Sullivan in an effort to confuse voters and peel votes from him. Specifically, NYT says they have reviewed text messages and documents that reveal in summer 2025, a Peltola staffer received instructions from campaign staffers to find as many people named Dan Sullivan in Alaska as possible. The staffer complied, going through voter records, and compiled a list. The operation “involved secret trips to far-flung Alaskan communities and the appearance of a mysterious Midwestern operative, who traversed the state using a fake name and made his pitch to would-be candidates over beers at brew pubs.” Per NYT: “The plan worked. This spring, a retired teacher from a tiny fishing village along the Alaska Panhandle, reachable only by air and sea, announced his candidacy for Senate. His name was Dan J. Sullivan.” https://t.co/Fh1n4fporW
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) October 28, 2026
Former Peltola campaign manager Elisa Rios told The Times that the candidate “was not directly involved in the project” but was “definitely aware.”
Sen. Sullivan called the revelation “the biggest scandal in Alaskan electoral history by far” and accused Peltola of lying about the project that was intended to cause Alaskans to “throw away their votes.”
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a Department of Public Safety investigation into whether the scheme violated state law.
Peltola told supporters she “knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent” and is “not interested in tricking voters.”