Daniel J. Sullivan, the US Senate candidate accused of serving as a liberal “decoy” recruited by allies of Democratic contender Mary Peltola, has reportedly left his hometown.
Sullivan, whose name and appearance closely resemble those of Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan, reportedly disappeared from Petersburg, the small fishing community where he lives, earlier this week.
A source told CBS she saw the candidate—dubbed “Dan Sullivan 2.0”—boarding a flight to Anchorage on Monday, just days before reports alleged that Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee had recruited him to improve the Democrat’s prospects.
His whereabouts and ultimate destination remain unknown.
Several Petersburg residents also said they had not received typical campaign materials, including flyers or yard signs, from the former schoolteacher, whose candidacy has drawn national attention.
The reports emerged as US Attorney for the District of Alaska Michael Heyman and Matthew Schlegel, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Anchorage Field Office, told reporters that an investigation into the alleged ballot scheme had been underway for months. They said findings published by The New York Times had accelerated the inquiry.
The developments come as Peltola’s contest against Republican Senator Dan Sullivan is shaping up to be one of the nation’s tightest races—and one that may not yield a definitive result on election night.
“Recent reporting has resulted in troubling new revelations,” Heyman said, adding that he had assigned “several attorneys” from his office to the investigation.
The “decoy” Dan Sullivan, accused of being planted to boost the Democrat’s chances in Alaska’s Senate race, reportedly left his hometown days before explosive findings by The New York Times became public
US Attorney for the District of Alaska Michael Heyman said: “Recent reporting has resulted in troubling new revelations”
Democratic candidate Mary Peltola and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have been accused of recruiting a “decoy” named Dan Sullivan to help her challenge the incumbent senator, who shares the same name
Heyman confirmed that a civil lawsuit and a criminal investigation are both underway in connection with the alleged ballot manipulation effort, though he did not identify the specific criminal offense under review.
“We will not let anyone or any group undermine this election,” Heyman said. “When credible information comes out, we are committed to pursuing that information, and we will act on it. We are acting on it intensely and swiftly.”
Heyman also said the United States was seeking a preliminary injunction after receiving what he described as “new information” within the previous 24 hours.
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Meanwhile, President Trump’s Justice Department sent letters to election officials nationwide ordering them to preserve election records or face possible criminal penalties.
The department acknowledged the move in a court filing on Friday, according to documents obtained by Democracy Docket.
The Trump administration has launched an eleventh-hour effort to challenge the handling of Alaska’s Senate race—even before voters have cast their ballots.
The letters, issued by the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, direct election officials to retain ballots and related records for at least 22 months under a decades-old federal law.
Officials who fail to comply could face penalties of up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine.
A composite image shows Trump-endorsed Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, left, in Palmer, Alaska, on August 17, 2026, alongside another candidate named Dan Sullivan in Alaska’s Senate race
A sample election ballot in Alaska
The race was shaken up this week after a bombshell report found Peltola’s campaign allegedly ‘planted’ a candidate with a name double of her Republican opponent Dan Sullivan in a scheme to boost her winning chances.
Her campaign, and the DSCC, are now under a criminal investigation opened this week by the state’s Republican governor for allegedly recruiting the ‘Decoy’ Dan Sullivan.
At the same time, an ongoing civil case, filed by the Department of Justice earlier this year, is examining whether Alaska can certify the results if incumbent Dan Sullivan loses.
The Cook Political Report ranks Alaska’s Senate race as a toss-up, and the crucial seat could determine the balance of power in Congress.
President Donald Trump has previously called for Peltola to be prosecuted herself after the report came to light, decrying ‘fraud’ in the state and demanding that she and the ‘Decoy’ Dan be removed from the ballot.
But legal experts told the Daily Mail that the civil case – and Trump’s calls for a federal prosecution – are unlikely to advance.
This is a developing story…