Sanders calls Democrats' Alaska decoy-candidate move 'pretty dumb' but says it's legal

Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, called what Democrats did in Alaska a bad idea. He also said the move was not against the law. He spoke on CBS's Face the Nation, according to The Associated Press (AP) ¹.

It's not illegal. It's what happens in every election.

What the fight is about

The dispute centers on a second candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from rural Alaska. He is on the November Senate ballot beside Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola ².

The New York Times reported that a Democratic operative who worked with Peltola's campaign and national Democrats helped encourage the retired teacher to run. The Times cited text messages and interviews ². AP reported the Times also cited campaign finance documents showing the operative was paid by a group backing Peltola ¹.

Peltola says she had nothing to do with it. "I knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent," she said ². The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the national Democratic operation that focuses on Senate races, said it "is not involved with Dan J. Sullivan" ². The second Sullivan has said he ran on his own ¹.

From Channel GOPPeltola: Tariffs doubled Alaska air taxi's parts billMary Peltola · 142 plays · captioned, with the source named

Republicans respond

Sen. Sullivan told CNN on Sunday that he doubted Peltola's account. He is accusing her of lying, and she denies involvement ¹.

There is no way this went on for a year that they weren't informing her,

Sullivan also said he would let the lawyers decide whether any crimes were committed. Asked whether he would urge the state not to certify a Peltola win, he said, "I'm going to accept the results of the election" ¹.

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who heads the GOP group that focuses on Senate races, said criminal charges might make sense. He said it is criminal for candidates to work in collusion with other parties to confuse voters ¹.

Other voices were more cautious. Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, said candidates with the same name happen in many places, but he called promoting such a strategy "stupid politics" ¹. CBS News contributor David Becker, an election law expert, said there is almost certainly no crime or anything illegal in what happened ².

What happens next

President Trump ordered the Justice Department to sue to stop certification of a possible Peltola win. After the Times report, he called for her prosecution ¹. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, ordered the state Department of Public Safety to investigate whether the scheme broke state law ².

Federal agents have also gone to Alaska and issued subpoenas, AP reported ¹. The Peltola campaign called the Justice Department lawsuit "a despicable political threat to overturn an election" ².

The allegations remain allegations. No one has been charged. In the August primary, Peltola got 49.5%, Sen. Sullivan 41.4% and the second Sullivan 2.5% ².

That matters because a Democrat's blunt criticism of his own side lets voters see the difference between a bad political idea and a crime. Voters will decide the race on Tuesday, and what follows may be fought in court.

The Record

1. Jun 1, 2026Alaska elections director ruled Daniel J. Sullivan ineligible; a judge later overturned that and the state Supreme Court upheld the reversal ².
2. Aug 1, 2026In the top-four primary, Peltola got 49.5%, Sen. Dan Sullivan 41.4% and Daniel J. Sullivan 2.5% ².
3. Oct 30, 2026CBS News reported the New York Times story, Gov. Dunleavy's investigation order and the Justice Department lawsuit ².
4. Nov 1, 2026Sanders called the Alaska move 'pretty dumb' on Face the Nation; Sullivan said he would accept the results ¹.

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<h2>Sanders calls Democrats&#39; Alaska decoy-candidate move &#39;pretty dumb&#39; but says it&#39;s legal</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/sanders-calls-democrats-alaska-decoy-candidate-move-pretty-dumb-but-says-it-s-legal">The GOP Files</a> on Sunday, November 1, 2026.</em></p> <p>Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, called what Democrats did in Alaska a bad idea. He also said the move was not against the law. He spoke on CBS&#39;s Face the Nation, according to The Associated Press (AP) .</p> <blockquote><p>It&#39;s not illegal. It&#39;s what happens in every election.</p><p>&mdash; Bernie Sanders, U.S. senator, independent-Vermont</p></blockquote> <h2>What the fight is about</h2> <p>The dispute centers on a second candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from rural Alaska. He is on the November Senate ballot beside Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola .</p> <p>The New York Times reported that a Democratic operative who worked with Peltola&#39;s campaign and national Democrats helped encourage the retired teacher to run. The Times cited text messages and interviews . AP reported the Times also cited campaign finance documents showing the operative was paid by a group backing Peltola .</p> <p>Peltola says she had nothing to do with it. &quot;I knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent,&quot; she said . The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the national Democratic operation that focuses on Senate races, said it &quot;is not involved with Dan J. Sullivan&quot; . The second Sullivan has said he ran on his own .</p> <h2>Republicans respond</h2> <p>Sen. Sullivan told CNN on Sunday that he doubted Peltola&#39;s account. He is accusing her of lying, and she denies involvement .</p> <blockquote><p>There is no way this went on for a year that they weren&#39;t informing her,</p><p>&mdash; Dan Sullivan, U.S. senator, Republican-Alaska</p></blockquote> <p>Sullivan also said he would let the lawyers decide whether any crimes were committed. Asked whether he would urge the state not to certify a Peltola win, he said, &quot;I&#39;m going to accept the results of the election&quot; .</p> <p>Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who heads the GOP group that focuses on Senate races, said criminal charges might make sense. He said it is criminal for candidates to work in collusion with other parties to confuse voters .</p> <p>Other voices were more cautious. Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, said candidates with the same name happen in many places, but he called promoting such a strategy &quot;stupid politics&quot; . CBS News contributor David Becker, an election law expert, said there is almost certainly no crime or anything illegal in what happened .</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>President Trump ordered the Justice Department to sue to stop certification of a possible Peltola win. After the Times report, he called for her prosecution . Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, ordered the state Department of Public Safety to investigate whether the scheme broke state law .</p> <p>Federal agents have also gone to Alaska and issued subpoenas, AP reported . The Peltola campaign called the Justice Department lawsuit &quot;a despicable political threat to overturn an election&quot; .</p> <p>The allegations remain allegations. No one has been charged. In the August primary, Peltola got 49.5%, Sen. Sullivan 41.4% and the second Sullivan 2.5% .</p> <p>That matters because a Democrat&#39;s blunt criticism of his own side lets voters see the difference between a bad political idea and a crime. Voters will decide the race on Tuesday, and what follows may be fought in court.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/sanders-calls-democrats-alaska-decoy-candidate-move-pretty-dumb-but-says-it-s-legal">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/sanders-calls-democrats-alaska-decoy-candidate-move-pretty-dumb-but-says-it-s-legal.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. AP via ABC News, “Sullivan claims Peltola is 'still lying' about campaign's involvement in Alaska ballot controversy” (2026-11-01). abcnews.com/Politics/wireStory/sullivan-claims-peltola-lying
2. CBS News, “Two Dan Sullivans: What to know about Alaska's Senate race as ballot fight heats up” (2026-10-30). cbsnews.com/news/alaska-senate-two-dan-sullivans-mary-peltol

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