A little-known Democratic strategist who has operated largely out of public view on numerous campaigns is facing scrutiny over allegations of a deliberate effort to influence Alaska’s Senate race.
The contest is among the most closely watched races of the midterm elections, with Democrat Mary Peltola seeking to unseat Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan.
Questions emerged earlier this year after a second candidate named Dan Sullivan, previously unknown to many voters, appeared on the ballot.
With Election Day less than a week away, an investigation suggested the matching names may have been part of an organized strategy designed to confuse voters and improve Peltola’s chances.
The investigation identified Jerid Kurtz as an intermediary who allegedly helped recruit candidates, including the second Dan Sullivan, for the Senate contest.
A New York Times report detailing the allegations has led to calls for a federal investigation from the Trump administration and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
After the report was published, Kurtz removed his social media profiles and took down the website of Wingspan Strategies, the firm he co-owns.
According to Case Western Reserve University, Kurtz began his political career after earning a 2005 degree in political science and English from the school.
Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign has been accused of involvement in an effort to recruit a second Dan Sullivan in the Alaska race
Peltola and Sullivan, shown above, are competing in a closely fought Senate race. A second candidate named Dan Sullivan is also listed on the ballot
He later received a law degree from Case Western in 2009 and became a board member and vice president of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio.
Jerid Kurtz has been identified as the Democratic operative accused of recruiting another Dan Sullivan to enter Alaska’s Senate race, potentially helping Mary Peltola
Kurtz also worked as communications director for the Ohio Democratic Party and took part in efforts to re-elect President Barack Obama and Senator Sherrod Brown, according to his alumni biography.
His LegiStorm profile lists him as the campaign manager for Raphael Warnock’s 2020 Senate campaign. He has also managed campaigns for David Trone and Anthony Brown.
The New York Times reported that Kurtz was introduced in summer 2025 to Elisa Rios, Peltola’s former campaign manager, and Anton McParland, her former chief of staff.
Rios told the newspaper that Kurtz was presented as an expert in “secret ballot maneuvers.” He was allegedly assigned to locate and recruit a candidate named Dan Sullivan for the Senate race.
Early in 2026, Kurtz reportedly told people connected to the Peltola campaign that he had found a Dan Sullivan prepared to run in order to “help Mary.”
He allegedly approached other possible spoiler candidates as well, including Matthew Salisbury. Kurtz reportedly contacted Salisbury through a Google Voice number and later met him at a pub while using the name “Zane.”
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Text messages reviewed by The Times showed Peltola campaign staffers and representatives of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee referring to Kurtz as “Jarid,” “Jared” or simply “our friend.”
A sample ballot in Anchorage, Alaska, displays both candidates named Daniel Sullivan
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has opened an inquiry and asked Kurtz to appear for an in-person interview on November 6.
Committee Chairman James Comer warned Kurtz in a letter Thursday that refusing to appear voluntarily could force lawmakers to consider using compulsory legal authority.
President Trump has called for Peltola to be removed from the ballot and investigated, while Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has ordered a separate investigation into the campaign.
“Deliberately tricking voters into casting their ballots for someone else strikes at the integrity of our elections,” Dunleavy wrote on X.
Vice President JD Vance described The Times’ findings as “disgraceful” and accused Peltola of attempting to “steal a Senate seat from the voters of Alaska.”
The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent certification of the results if Sullivan loses because of the second candidate bearing his name.
Sullivan has accused Peltola and her campaign of “gaslighting Alaskans” and denying a strategy he claims they had been pursuing from the beginning.
Peltola’s campaign and the DSCC have repeatedly rejected allegations that they were involved with the second Sullivan campaign or helped recruit other candidates.
The composite shows Trump-backed Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, left, in Palmer, Alaska, on August 17, 2026, alongside another Dan Sullivan running in the state’s Senate race
At a Thursday rally, Peltola dismissed the allegations and characterized The New York Times investigation as “just another distraction.”
“This is all stuff to sell newspapers. This is all stuff to get subscriptions,” she told supporters. “Nobody at The New York Times cares about affordability in Alaska.”
Allies of the Peltola campaign have maintained that, even if the alleged effort occurred, it would not necessarily breach election law.
Chris Redfern, a former member of the US House who worked with Kurtz during his time as Ohio Democratic Party communications director, told the Cincinnati Enquirer that efforts of this kind are “a campaign tactic as old as ballot boxes.”
“It is quite common to find candidates to muddy the waters,” Redfern added.
Redfern described Kurtz as “exceptional” and said the pair achieved considerable success while working together. Kurtz was not immediately available to respond to requests for comment.
