Alaska allegations complicate fight for US Senate control

Alaska's Republican governor has ordered a state investigation of allegations in a New York Times report that Democrats recruited spoiler candidates in the state’s US Senate race.

The Times reported that aides to Democratic candidate Mary Peltola worked to recruit two candidates who could siphon votes from incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan.

The allegations raise the prospect of a messy fight over a contest that could determine Senate control in next Tuesday's midterm elections.

Alaska is one of about 10 highly competitive races that will decide control of the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority.

Democrats need a net gain of four seats, and a post-election dispute in Alaska could leave control of the chamber unclear for weeks.

Governor Mike Dunleavy said that the probe would examine whether any laws were broken, posting on X that "the evidence will determine what happens next".

President Donald Trump told reporters: "It's hard to believe that she could even be allowed to run. Frankly, I don't know how you can allow somebody like that to run. It's so unfair."

Mr Trump for years has sowed doubts about the fairness of US elections and even prior to the Times report had pushed the Justice Department to file a lawsuit seeking to pre-emptively block Alaska from certifying Ms Peltola, a former congresswoman, if she were to win the election.

The Times reported today that Peltola aides worked with campaign lawyers and staff at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to recruit two candidates who could siphon votes from the incumbent Republican Sullivan, including a retired teacher also named Dan Sullivan who is on the ballot.

Ms Peltola’s former campaign manager, Elisa Rios, who was fired in August, told the Times that Ms Peltola was aware of the effort.

Ms Peltola’s campaign said it "has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign".

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also denied involvement and accused Republicans of propping up candidates of their own in other races.

'Alaskans deserve the honest truth'

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, lambasted what he called the "crazy tactics" of Democrats in Alaska.

In an interview with Fox News, he said: "We hope it doesn't confuse voters, but that's exactly what the Democrats tried to do here.

"They got caught red-handed."

US Senator Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, called for Ms Peltola to be honest.

"Recruiting candidates to manipulate the field and influence voting outcomes is simply wrong," she posted on X.

"Alaskans deserve the honest truth from Mary and her campaign - what has been revealed is a pattern of lies and cover-ups and a culture of deception that belongs nowhere in our elections or among our elected officials," she added.

Jessica Levinson, a professor who specialises in election law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said that as long as Daniel J Sullivan, the challenger to the incumbent, did not conceal financial support, his campaign likely did not break any laws and political parties are allowed to mislead the public.

Policing such behaviour would open the door to the government investigating why candidates choose to run and why voters support them, she said.

"To the extent that people are uncomfortable with two Sullivans, I would offer you're probably going to be uncomfortable with a really high level of government intrusion into our elections as well," she added.

Rex Van Middlesworth, an executive board member of Keep Our Republic, a nonpartisan group that works to build trust in US elections, said on a call with reporters that nothing would bar the second Sullivan from the ballot or disqualify Ms Peltola.

He called the Justice Department’s lawsuit "frivolous even by current DOJ standards", saying it cites no provision of law.