Peltola denies knowing of Alaska's second Dan Sullivan as DOJ issues new subpoenas

Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola said Thursday that she knew nothing about an effort to put a second candidate on Alaska's ballot with the same name as the Republican incumbent. She spoke as the Justice Department issued new grand jury subpoenas in a criminal investigation ¹.

Peltola is running against Sen. Dan Sullivan, and the race is considered key to control of the U.S. Senate ¹. She spoke at the top of a speech at a downtown bar in Juneau, the state capital ¹.

I knew nothing about any other candidate on the ballot except for me and the incumbent.

What the subpoenas are about

A person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that the subpoenas seek grand jury testimony or documents. They also include demands that records be preserved ¹. The person said they were issued after The New York Times reported that Peltola's campaign appeared to be involved in recruiting Dan J. Sullivan Jr. ¹.

The person said more subpoenas were expected. It was not immediately clear who received them or how many there were ¹. The person spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the probe publicly ¹.

From Channel GOPPeltola: Tariffs doubled Alaska air taxi's parts billMary Peltola · 141 plays · captioned, with the source named

The Times has alleged that operatives linked to Peltola's campaign helped recruit the second Sullivan. The Peltola campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have denied any role ². Dan J. Sullivan has also denied he ran at Democrats' behest. In June he said he had no contact with Peltola's campaign, telling a reporter, “Zero, none, zilch” ¹.

Trump and Republicans pile on

The Justice Department has looked into the second Sullivan's candidacy for months. Who the potential targets are is unclear ¹. President Donald Trump earlier this week called for the criminal prosecution of Peltola and her campaign ¹. Trump had previously directed his Department of Justice to sue to block certification ¹.

At a South Carolina rally Thursday, Trump said Peltola “should be removed from the ballot and prosecuted.” He also cast doubt on whether she would be seated if she won ¹. Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a separate state investigation into Peltola ¹.

Attorney General Todd Blanche said Wednesday on Fox News that he would not discuss criminal investigations. He accused Democrats of “cheating” ¹. State attorneys asked a court to rule on the federal lawsuit by Monday. They warned it could “cast a cloud over Alaska's election that is contrary to the public interest” ¹.

Why it matters

Peltola called the probe an attempt at intimidation and a distraction from the cost of living ¹. Whether she is right will depend on facts that are not yet public. No charges have been announced, and the allegations against her campaign remain unproven.

The AP noted that parties often back extra candidates to pull votes from rivals. It said that if state courts allow it, legal experts say the federal government has no role in challenging the results ¹. It also noted that Republicans have been tied to an effort to boost a socialist on the ballot in Ohio's Senate race, which would pull votes from the Democrat challenging Sen. Jon Husted ¹.

Voters are reacting too. Carter Bancroft, an independent in Juneau, said he voted for Peltola. He worries the claims give “ammunition” to Trump and others ¹. John Delgado, an independent who leans Republican, said he has “warmed up” to Sullivan and thinks Peltola should drop out ¹.

State courts allowed Daniel J. Sullivan to stay on the ballot, and the Justice Department then asked a federal court to step in ². State attorneys have asked a court to rule on the federal lawsuit by Monday, ahead of the election.

The Record

1. Oct 28, 2026Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Fox News he would not discuss criminal investigations but accused Democrats of 'cheating' ¹.
2. Oct 29, 2026Peltola denied at a Juneau event that she knew of the second Dan Sullivan's candidacy, as new grand jury subpoenas were issued ¹.
3. Oct 29, 2026Trump said at a South Carolina rally that Peltola should be removed from the ballot and prosecuted ¹.

Sources

1. ABC News (AP), “Peltola denies knowing about Alaska spoiler candidate as Justice Department escalates investigation” (2026-10-30). abcnews.com/Politics/wireStory/peltola-denies-knowing-alaska
2. CBS News, “Peltola says she "knew nothing about" the other Dan Sullivan as ballot controversy roils Alaska Senate race” (2026-10-30). cbsnews.com/news/peltola-she-knew-nothing-dan-sullivan-ballo

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