Although Democrats took control of Congress after Tuesday’s midterm elections, only a handful of races remain unresolved. Among them is Alaska’s fiercely contested Senate election, one of the most closely watched and controversial contests in the country.
The battle for the Last Frontier’s Senate seat has drawn international attention after Democrats were accused of recruiting a candidate with the same name as Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. Critics allege the strategy was designed to confuse voters and benefit Democratic nominee Mary Peltola.
With roughly 74 percent of ballots counted, Peltola held a narrow lead of 637 votes over the Trump-endorsed incumbent as of Friday morning. The final result may not be known until late November.
The second Dan Sullivan has received about 3,500 votes, giving his candidacy the potential to influence the outcome.
As many as 70,000 ballots remain to be processed, leaving both campaigns focused on making the case that the outstanding votes are likely to favor their candidate.
Peltola wrote on X that “tens of thousands of early votes and absentee ballots are still outstanding,” adding that available data suggested they would break in her favor and widen her lead.
Sullivan, meanwhile, posted a statement on his campaign website arguing that Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system could ultimately deliver him victory.
Under Alaska’s election rules, a candidate who wins more than 50 percent of first-choice votes is elected outright. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the contender 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 explaining how the Trump-backed senator could still secure re-election
Ballots cast for the eliminated candidate are then reassigned to the voter’s next-ranked choice, and the process continues until one contender surpasses 50 percent.
The extended counting process means 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 be released on Tuesday, November 10.
That could be the earliest point at which a winner is declared—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.
Even after the count is complete, the Alaska Division of Elections does not plan to certify the results before November 25.
An accelerated FBI investigation into the alleged “decoy” candidate scheme could add another layer of uncertainty to an already dramatic election in the Last Frontier.
Two sources familiar with the inquiry told Our News Outlet that investigators questioned Peltola’s former campaign manager on Election Day.
The FBI reportedly approached Elisa Rios in Chicago on Tuesday, according to the sources.
One source described the investigation as moving “full speed ahead.”
Rios is alleged to have played a role in recruiting the second Dan Sullivan as part of an effort to confuse voters and draw support away from the incumbent.
Peltola has denied any connection to the alleged operation.
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, making his presence in the race potentially decisive.
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 Our News Outlet.
Dan Sullivan 2.0 has repeatedly maintained 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 was published accusing the former teacher of being a liberal plant.
Senator Sullivan’s campaign has called the allegations “the biggest election cheating scandal in the history of Alaska.”
