Although Democrats took control of Congress after Tuesday’s midterm elections, several contests remain unresolved — including Alaska’s fiercely contested and highly controversial Senate race.
The battle for the Last Frontier’s Senate seat has drawn attention far beyond the state after Democrats were accused of recruiting a candidate with the same name as Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. Critics allege the move was designed to confuse voters and benefit Democratic nominee Mary Peltola.
With roughly 74 percent of ballots counted, Peltola held a lead of just 637 votes over the Trump-endorsed incumbent as of Friday morning. The final result may not be known until late November.
The second candidate named Dan Sullivan has received about 3,500 votes, potentially giving his campaign a decisive role in determining the outcome.
As many as 70,000 ballots could still be outstanding, leaving both leading campaigns focused on persuading voters that the remaining count is likely to work in their favor.
Peltola wrote on X that “tens of thousands of early votes and absentee ballots are still outstanding,” adding that available data suggested those ballots would favor her and increase her lead.
Sullivan, meanwhile, issued a statement on his website arguing that Alaska’s ranked-choice voting process could ultimately deliver victory to him.
Under Alaska’s election rules, a candidate who secures more than half of all first-choice votes wins immediately. If no contender reaches that threshold, the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated.
Democratic candidate Mary Peltola holds a lead of just over 600 votes against Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan
Dan Sullivan’s campaign has been outlining how the Trump-backed incumbent could still retain his Senate seat
Ballots whose first-choice candidate has been eliminated are then transferred to the next-ranked candidate listed by each voter.
Even so, Alaskans may have to wait until the end of the month to learn who will represent them in the Senate.
The largest batch of outstanding ballots is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday, November 10.
That would be the earliest point at which a winner could be determined, provided either Peltola or Sullivan crosses the 50 percent threshold.
Alaska’s deadline for completing the count of remaining absentee, mailed and provisional ballots is November 18.
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The Alaska Division of Elections is not expected to certify the final results before November 25.
At the same time, an accelerated FBI investigation into the alleged “decoy” candidate operation could add another layer of uncertainty to the already dramatic Alaska Senate contest.
Two people familiar with the inquiry told the Daily Mail that investigators questioned Peltola’s former campaign manager on Election Day.
The sources said FBI agents approached Elisa Rios in Chicago on Tuesday.
One source described the investigation as moving “full speed ahead.”
Rios has been accused of helping recruit the second Dan Sullivan in what critics say was an attempt to confuse voters and divert support from the Republican incumbent.
Peltola has rejected any connection to the alleged scheme.
The second Dan Sullivan reportedly left his hometown of Petersburg last week and has not been heard from since
Alaska’s midterm ballot lists two candidates named Dan Sullivan
The second Dan Sullivan has received approximately 3,500 votes, meaning his candidacy could prove crucial to the final result.
Conservatives fear those votes could have been taken from the incumbent and ultimately help Peltola win the seat.
“What they said could happen appears to be happening,” a source familiar with the Department of Justice investigation told the Daily Mail.
Dan Sullivan 2.0 has repeatedly insisted that he entered the race independently and never communicated with Peltola’s campaign.
However, he has not been located since leaving his hometown two days before a New York Times report identified him as a former teacher and alleged that he was a liberal plant.
Senator Sullivan’s campaign has described the allegations as “the biggest election cheating scandal in the history of Alaska.”