Trump Claims Alaska Candidate Is Missing Before Senate Election
Trump used a late-night Truth Social post to claim that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., an independent candidate for the U.S. Senate in Alaska, had disappeared and might have been kidnapped by Democratic lawyers. He offered no evidence for the kidnapping claim. The post came hours before Election Day, with Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan facing Democrat Mary Peltola and the other Sullivan on the ballot.
The two candidates share nearly identical names, and Trump said voters could confuse them and cost the incumbent votes. Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher from Petersburg, has denied that Peltola’s campaign or other Democrats recruited him to spoil the race. Peltola has also denied campaign involvement in recruiting spoiler candidates. This summer, the state’s highest court decided Sullivan Jr. could be listed on the ballot.
The dispute is also the subject of a federal criminal investigation into whether there was an effort to recruit Sullivan Jr. to affect the race. The Justice Department has subpoenaed several Democratic officials. On November 1, U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed a federal lawsuit seeking to block certification of Alaska’s Senate result if the incumbent loses, finding the government had offered no workable plan. Roughly an hour afterward, the department appealed.
A poll from AtlasIntel published November 2 put Peltola at 50 percent, Sen. Sullivan at 44 percent and Sullivan Jr. at 0.6 percent. Trump also urged Alaskans to vote for the Republican incumbent. The Senate contest is among races Democrats hope to win as they seek control of the chamber.
Trump’s Alaska Election Claims Follow Court Rebuff
Hours before Alaska voters went to the polls, Trump used an all-caps social media post to suggest that independent candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. had been kidnapped by Democratic lawyers. He provided no evidence for the claim. His attack came after a federal judge rejected the administration’s attempt to block certification of the Senate result if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses.
Judge Sharon Gleason said the government had no workable plan for separating ballots or investigating them while protecting voter secrecy. The Justice Department appealed roughly an hour after her November 1 ruling. The case underscores the stakes of an administration seeking to intervene in a state election after many voters had already cast ballots.
Trump says the two Sullivans could confuse voters and cost the incumbent votes. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher running without party affiliation, has denied being recruited by Mary Peltola’s campaign, and Peltola has denied campaign involvement in recruiting spoiler candidates. This summer, the state’s highest court affirmed Sullivan Jr.’s eligibility for the ballot.
The federal investigation into possible recruitment efforts has led to subpoenas for several Democratic officials. But allegations under investigation are not proof of wrongdoing. An AtlasIntel survey published November 2 had Peltola ahead of the incumbent, 50 percent to 44 percent, with Sullivan Jr. at 0.6 percent.
Alaska’s Two Sullivans Put Election Clarity Under Scrutiny
With Alaska voters heading to the polls, Trump accused Democrats of hiding independent candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. and suggested he might have been kidnapped. He also warned that having two candidates named Sullivan on the ballot could divert votes from Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. Trump offered no evidence for the kidnapping claim, but the ballot confusion concern is central to the dispute.
Sullivan Jr., a retired Petersburg teacher, is running without party affiliation. He has denied that Peltola’s campaign or other Democrats recruited him to undermine the incumbent, and Peltola has denied campaign involvement in recruiting spoiler candidates. This summer, Alaska’s top court determined Sullivan Jr. was eligible for the ballot.
The Justice Department is investigating whether there was an effort to recruit him and has subpoenaed several Democratic officials. A federal judge dismissed the administration’s lawsuit seeking to block certification if the incumbent loses, saying the government had no workable plan for handling ballots while preserving voter secrecy. The department appealed about an hour later.
The race matters to both parties as Democrats seek control of the Senate. An AtlasIntel survey published November 2 put Peltola at 50 percent, Sen. Sullivan at 44 percent and Sullivan Jr. at 0.6 percent. Voters will decide the contest on November 3.
Reported by The Daily Beast, Raw Story, The New Republic.
