Democratic Scheme in Alaska’s Senate Race Raises Eyebrows

Democratic strategist Adrienne Elrod addressed recent revelations about a Democratic effort to influence Alaska’s Senate race, describing it as a common practice. Her remarks followed a New York Times report suggesting Democratic operatives recruited a candidate to impact the race.

The report alleged that Democrats encouraged Dan Sullivan to run as a spoiler candidate against the current Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, potentially aiding Mary Peltola, the Democratic challenger. Elrod, speaking on a panel for MS NOW, dismissed the controversy.

Some of this stuff happens all the time,” Elrod said. “Let’s not forget… RFK Jr., when he ran against Joe Biden, Republicans propped him up. A lot of Trump donors supported him, hoping he would attract Biden’s voters. In reality, it had the opposite effect.

Elrod emphasized that such tactics are common, highlighting that voters in Alaska can choose who to support based on the clear incumbent on the ballot. She admitted she had not read the Times report.

MS NOW anchor Peter Alexander pointed out that the Democratic actions in Alaska were not illegal. He mentioned that listing Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan as the incumbent on the ballot weakens voter confusion concerns raised by the Trump administration.

The Peltola campaign has denied involvement in the controversy surrounding Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., one of the four candidates in Alaska’s rank-choice ballot. Despite this, Republicans have remained skeptical about Sullivan Jr.’s candidacy.

The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Alaska, aiming to block election result certification if the incumbent senator loses due to potential voter confusion. According to the Times, Peltola was aware of efforts to recruit another Dan Sullivan for the race, although she was not directly involved.

Peltola’s former campaign manager, Elisa Rios, stated that while Peltola was aware of the situation, the campaign consistently denied endorsing Sullivan Jr.’s candidacy. However, the Times found evidence that her team had collaborated with others to encourage his participation, alongside other spoiler candidates, aiming to weaken the incumbent’s support.