Alaska Governor Orders Probe Into Senate Candidate Name Overlap

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, ordered an investigation on Wednesday night into whether criminal charges or civil penalties should be brought over alleged Democratic efforts to recruit a Senate candidate with the same name as incumbent Dan Sullivan. The announcement followed a New York Times report about Democrats aligned with candidate Mary Peltola.

Dunleavy posted on X that the Alaska Division of Elections investigated such concerns in June. Peltola's campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Committee have both denied involvement in the alleged plan.

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Peltola should drop out of the race and face criminal charges, calling the situation "Voter Fraud at the Highest Level" and urging that she be "removed from the ballot and prosecuted." Her Republican opponent told Fox News that Peltola should "come clean."

Experts cited in the reporting said the recruiting of a candidate with a matching name did not appear to be illegal. CNN has requested comment from Peltola's campaign, the Alaska Division of Elections, and the state Department of Public Safety.

Alaska election officials said the report does not change the state's opposition to a Trump administration lawsuit that seeks to potentially delay certification of the election. The Department of Justice filed suit to block certification if the incumbent loses, citing confusion that could arise from two candidates named Dan Sullivan.

Peltola, a former at-large House member, is considered one of Senate Democrats' top recruits of the midterms.

Trump also said on Wednesday that Peltola should drop out and face criminal charges over the allegations. He described the situation as "Voter Fraud at the Highest Level" and called for her removal from the ballot and prosecution.

In related campaign finance news, CNN polling across four key Senate races finds Democrats at 49% and Republicans at 42% in Michigan among likely voters, with Democrat James Talarico at 49% and Republican Ken Paxton at 43% in Texas.

A federal judge refused to allow the Justice Department to intervene in California's mail-in ballot counting, warning that the administration's request to segregate as many as 20,000 ballots to vet voters' citizenship would "wreak havoc."

CNN analyzed early voting data in 25 states and found Democrats have a 14-point advantage in turnout among high-propensity voters, those who participated in the last two general elections. At the same point in 2024, Democrats had a 6-point lead among voters who turned out in both the 2020 and 2022 elections.