Dozens of Democratic lawmakers and governors who endorsed Alaska Senate candidate Mary Peltola have not publicly responded to questions about an alleged effort to confuse voters and potentially take votes from Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan.
A report published Wednesday alleged that aides to Peltola helped recruit a candidate named Dan Sullivan to run against the Republican incumbent. The reported purpose was to draw votes away from Sen. Sullivan. Peltola’s campaign has denied involvement, saying it “has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign.”
Forty-two Democratic officials who endorsed Peltola were asked whether they would condemn the alleged effort to mislead Alaska voters. As of publication, none had responded. Peltola’s campaign also did not respond to a request for comment.
The lack of public responses comes after several prominent Democrats have made strong statements about protecting democracy. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said in 2022 that “voter suppression is poisonous, it is toxic to our democracy.” In April 2025, Sen. Chris Murphy argued that those who believe the threat to democracy is urgent need to “act like it.” Sen. Cory Booker said in December 2016 that “protecting American democracy is a calling far higher than party politics.”
Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat who has publicly broken with his party on some issues, also had not commented on the controversy.
The report about the candidate with the same name as the incumbent was based on text messages and interviews with former campaign staffers. The allegations have prompted scrutiny in Alaska, where the governor ordered an investigation into the reported effort.
On Oct. 22, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Alaska seeking to delay certification of the state’s Senate election if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses and votes cast for the other Dan Sullivan could have changed the result. The lawsuit is pending an investigation into whether voter confusion affected the outcome.
Legal experts from across the political spectrum have identified significant challenges facing the case. Those challenges include determining voter intent from anonymous ballots and addressing the authority states have over their own elections.
The Democratic senators asked for comment included Adam Schiff, Alex Padilla, Maggie Hassan, Chuck Schumer, Catherine Cortez Masto, Angela Alsobrooks, Andy Kim, Brian Schatz, Ed Markey, Elissa Slotkin, John Hickenlooper, Jon Ossoff, Kirsten Gillibrand, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Mark Kelly, Michael Bennet, Ruben Gallego, Sheldon Whitehouse and Tammy Duckworth.
House members contacted included Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Chris Pappas, Brittany Pettersen, Eric Sorensen, Mike Levin, Hillary Scholten, Jared Huffman, Josh Harder, Pramila Jayapal, Sarah McBride, George Whitesides, Jonathan Nez and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.
Former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is running to regain his Senate seat, and Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford were also asked for their reactions. Democratic governors Wes Moore of Maryland and Gavin Newsom of California were contacted, as was former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who is running for Senate.
At least one Democrat has publicly criticized the alleged tactic. Iowa Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand said that “both parties are doing it and neither party should be doing it,” describing such efforts as “manipulating the political system.”
The allegations remain disputed. Peltola’s campaign has denied involvement, while the investigation and legal proceedings are intended to examine whether the reported activity occurred and whether it affected the election.
