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US expands Alaska spoiler probe

5d

The U.S. Justice Department expanded its investigation into an alleged effort by Democrats to recruit a same-named spoiler candidate in Alaska’s Senate race, issuing subpoenas.

Reposted by David S. Cohen, Nancy M. Wingfield, Nathan P. Kalmoe , and 12 more

103%
marisakabas.bsky.social
The NY Times will publish a hit piece on the Democratic Alaska senate candidate six days before an Election but won't mention a new rape allegation against the President of the United States.
October 28, 2026 at 6:08 PM

Reposted by Will Jennings

35%
washingtonpost.com
Things are getting more controversial in Alaska, where Democratic candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign is facing a new accusation that it helped recruit an outside contender for the Senate race.

Here’s what else you may have missed from the campaign trail Wednesday:
Report on recruiting a ‘spoiler’ shakes up Senate race in Alaska
What you should know about the midterm campaign trail.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 29, 2026 at 1:30 AM

Reposted by Steve Peers, Manisha Sinha, Daxton R. Stewart , and 2 more

51%
justinbaragona.bsky.social
Amazing!

The source who gave the NYT its story about Peltola's campaign stacking the ballot is the campaign manager Peltola fired and is now suing for wrongful termination.

And this ex-campaign manager tried to back out as a source just before publication!

www.nytimes.com/2026/10/28/u...
This article is based on interviews over the past two months with 12 people who participated in or were told of the plan, or were would-be candidates that the team tried to recruit. The Times also obtained dozens of text messages that provided updates on the progress of the effort. The reporting included the extensive interviews with Ms. Rios, during which she shared details of the operation. Last week, as The Times prepared to publish this article, Ms. Rios, who had been planning to file a wrongful termination lawsuit against the Peltola campaign, contacted The Times and said she wanted to take back her previous statements. “As discussed on our call earlier today, I am confirming that I have retracted all statements made regarding the 2026 Alaska Senate Race in connection with any article you may or may not be writing,” Ms. Rios wrote. “I am not willing to be a source for any story in any capacity.”
October 28, 2026 at 7:02 PM

Reposted by Will Jennings, David Darmofal

42%
nytpitchbot.bsky.social
Shame on Alaska Democrats for recruiting candidates who will draw support from people who’d otherwise vote Republican.

by Jill Stein and Cornell West
October 30, 2026 at 1:45 AM

Reposted by Sanford F. Schram

25%
democracydocket.com
🏞️ Trump claims Democrat Mary Peltola was behind a second “Dan Sullivan” entering Alaska’s U.S. Senate race to confuse voters.

While Peltola denies it, this ballot-stacking tactic is not illegal — and has been employed by both parties in Alaska: https://demdock.com/3UjON2B
October 29, 2026 at 10:00 PM

by Steve Peers

84%
stevepeers.bsky.social
The whole story makes little sense on its own terms anyway - Alaska has ranked voting, so people can vote for more than one Dan Sullivan; plus the incumbent is specifically marked on the ballot
justinbaragona.bsky.social Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 7d
Amazing!

The source who gave the NYT its story about Peltola's campaign stacking the ballot is the campaign manager Peltola fired and is now suing for wrongful termination.

And this ex-campaign manager tried to back out as a source just before publication!

www.nytimes.com/2026/10/28/u...
This article is based on interviews over the past two months with 12 people who participated in or were told of the plan, or were would-be candidates that the team tried to recruit. The Times also obtained dozens of text messages that provided updates on the progress of the effort. The reporting included the extensive interviews with Ms. Rios, during which she shared details of the operation. Last week, as The Times prepared to publish this article, Ms. Rios, who had been planning to file a wrongful termination lawsuit against the Peltola campaign, contacted The Times and said she wanted to take back her previous statements. “As discussed on our call earlier today, I am confirming that I have retracted all statements made regarding the 2026 Alaska Senate Race in connection with any article you may or may not be writing,” Ms. Rios wrote. “I am not willing to be a source for any story in any capacity.”
October 28, 2026 at 11:09 PM

by John R. Lott

44%

Reposted by Sanford F. Schram

25%
jamellebouie.net
there is no evidence whatsoever that this Alaska story has changed the state of the race.
jeremyschulman.bsky.social Jeremy Schulman @jeremyschulman.bsky.social · 6d
In both Montana and Alaska, Democrats completely misread the national political environment and decided (wrongly!) that their only chance to win was to mislead voters. Both efforts blew up in their faces. Compare that to what is going on in South Carolina and Kansas.
October 29, 2026 at 8:37 PM

by Ilya Somin

49%
ilyasomin.bsky.social
Creating voter confusion about candidates with similar names (as Democrats likely sought to do in Alaska) is bad. But important to remember voter ignorance about policy issues and exploitation thereof by parties and candidates is a far bigger problem: reason.com/volokh/2026/...
Creating Voter Confusion About Candidates' Names is Bad - But Exploiting Voter Ignorance About Policy Issues is a Much Bigger Problem
A recent New York Times article presents evidence that Alaska Democrats sought to confuse voters in that state's 2026…
reason.com
October 29, 2026 at 10:10 PM

by John R. Lott

44%

Reposted by Jon Green, Steven S. Taylor

9%
theonion.com
Mary Peltola Insists Scheme To Put Second Dan Sullivan On Ballot Orchestrated By Mary F. Peltola
Mary Peltola Insists Scheme To Put Second Dan Sullivan On Ballot Orchestrated By Mary F. Peltola
October 29, 2026 at 7:00 PM

Reposted by James Goodwin, Christian E. Weller

6%
nytimes.com
Operatives aligned with Alaska Democratic Senate nominee Mary Peltola spent months recruiting candidates to peel votes from her Republican rival. The group worked to coax would-be spoilers into the race to dilute the incumbent's support and help catapult Peltola to victory. trib.al/gWKhuWh
October 28, 2026 at 5:25 PM

by John R. Lott

44%

Reposted by James Goodwin

5%
atrupar.com
Trump: "It has just been determined Democrats illegally searched for, & recruited, a man named Dan Sullivan ... Peltola should suffer the Legal & Political consequences for A FRAUD ON THE PUBLIC, and Dan Sullivan should be allowed to run without either Peltola or FAKE Dan Sullivan on the Ballot"
Trump: "It has just been determined that the Democrats in Alaska illegally searched for, and recruited, a man named Dan Sullivan to run against our distinguished Republican Senator, Dan Sullivan, in order to defraud, confuse, and obfuscate the Election, thereby taking votes away from the REAL Senator, Dan Sullivan. The New York Times reports that, 'Democrats have insisted they have nothing to do with the other Dan Sullivan on Alaska’s Senate ballot. But aides with the Mary Peltola campaign and DSCC were part of a monthslong secret plan to recruit him to run — as well as other candidates.' The Democrats’ false statements were made under oath in Federal Court. Therefore, they perjured themselves, and should be liable for very serious consequences. Mary Peltola should suffer the Legal and Political consequences for what she has done, A FRAUD ON THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, and Dan Sullivan should be allowed to run without either Mary Peltola or FAKE Dan Sullivan on the Ballot. President DONALD J. TRUMP"
October 28, 2026 at 7:12 PM

by Kate Starbird Reposted by Axel Bruns

36%
katestarbird.bsky.social
Starting another thread on our election research today. We have a "What to expect on and after election day" piece that just dropped, a rumor rundown of several rumors spreading earlier in the week, and an update on the "Tale of Two Sullivans" in Alaska, with new reporting from the NYT.
October 28, 2026 at 5:58 PM

by Bonnie Honig

71%
bonniehonig.bsky.social
“in Ohio, for example, Republicans are promoting a socialist candidate to take votes from Democratic candidate, former senator Sherrod Brown” HCR I stand by my claim that Alaska’s announcement of investigations is the same ask made of Zelenskyy and the latest in a sequence of possly planned moves
October 29, 2026
Flávio Bolsonaro’s escape from Brazil to Miami turns out to have been arranged, in part, by White House officials including Trump advisor Jason Miller, who arranged for a charter jet to take the Bolso...
heathercoxrichardson.substack.com
October 30, 2026 at 10:11 AM

by Michael D. McDonald

59%
electproject.bsky.social
the Republican argument is their voters can't read and don't know how to count higher than 1
jamellebouie.net jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 6d
the other thing is that alaska has ranked choice voting? and sullivan (the incumbent) is clearly labeled as such? this is making a mountain out of a molehill out of what is clearly desperation
jbendery.bsky.social Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 6d
Such BS. The Republican governor of Alaska knows what he's saying is nonsense.

Not only is ballot stacking legal (if icky), and not only do Republicans do it, but they're doing it now in Alaska!

SLF, the main Senate GOP super PAC, spent ~$500K to get a Green Party guy in Arizona to run in Alaska.
October 29, 2026 at 3:44 PM

by David Bartram

32%
dbartram.bsky.social
More of this, please.

Though perhaps with more discretion, secrecy.

www.nytimes.com/2026/10/28/u...
Inside Democrats’ Secret Effort to Stack Alaska’s Midterm Ballot With Another Dan Sullivan (Gift Article)
Operatives aligned with Mary Peltola, the Democratic nominee for Senate, spent months recruiting candidates to peel votes from Senator Dan Sullivan, the Republican.
www.nytimes.com
October 29, 2026 at 9:58 AM

Reposted by Michael D. McDonald, Nathan P. Kalmoe

32%
tyleraking.com
RE: Alaska, the FL GOP ran a ghost candidate campaign in 2020 to siphon votes from three Democratic candidates for state senate, including 2026 state AG candidate Jose Javier Rodríguez.
GOP player in ‘ghost’ candidate scandal behind texts slamming AG candidate
Alex Alvarado’s political action committee sent the texts attacking Jose Javier Rodriguez, the Democrat running for Florida attorney general, and was an early supporter of Republican Attorney General ...
www.orlandosentinel.com
October 29, 2026 at 4:22 PM

by Randy E. Barnett

56%
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