Alaska's Senate race has devolved into a confusing spectacle, and at the heart of this unfolding drama is the Left's preferred electoral tool: ranked-choice voting (RCV). This system, often touted as a "fairer" way to vote, has instead become a playground for political operatives to manipulate outcomes, and Democrats in Alaska appear to be master architects of this cynical game.
The current ballot features a lineup that would make any voter scratch their head: the incumbent, Senator Dan S. Sullivan (R-AK), and another challenger, Dan J. Sullivan. Adding to the electoral absurdity is a third Dan Sullivan, a former Anchorage mayor, who has wisely endorsed the Republican incumbent. One might quip that with another Dan Sullivan, they could launch a barbershop quartet. Yet, this isn't a joke; it's a deliberate strategy.
Even the normally left-leaning *New York Times* has been forced to look askance at this convoluted situation, exposing the disturbing details of a plan that bears the unmistakable fingerprints of the Mary Peltola campaign. In what was reportedly an internal "ballot composition project," a Peltola staffer was tasked in the summer of 2025 with an unusual instruction from top campaign aides: "Find as many people named Dan Sullivan in Alaska as you can." The staffer delivered, compiling a list of potential names across the state.
The objective was clear: recruit another Dan Sullivan to run for Senate, leveraging the confusion to siphon off crucial votes from the Republican incumbent under Alaska's unusual RCV system. And the plan, alarmingly, worked. This past spring, a retired teacher from a remote fishing village, named Dan J. Sullivan, announced his candidacy for Senate. And there it is.
Despite repeated denials from the Peltola campaign regarding their involvement in Dan J. Sullivan's candidacy, *The Times* has uncovered compelling evidence. Based on interviews, text messages, and documents prepared for a potential lawsuit, it's now clear that "not only did Ms. Peltola’s team work with people trying to recruit Mr. Sullivan to run for Senate, but the effort was much broader. The group worked to coax other would-be spoilers into the race, to dilute the incumbent’s support and help catapult the Democrat to victory."
This elaborate scheme involved secret trips to far-flung Alaskan communities and even the appearance of a "mysterious Midwestern operative" using a fake name, making pitches to potential spoiler candidates over beers. This wasn't just a rogue operation; Peltola campaign lawyers and senior aides at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) — the very entity directing the party’s national Senate strategy — were reportedly involved in "regular conversations about the effort and even considered forming a new political party to draw conservatives onto the ballot." This is election manipulation at its most brazen, designed to subvert the will of Alaskan voters.
Such tactics, at best, are profoundly shady. At worst, they are an assault on the integrity of our electoral process. The danger is real: in the 2024 election, roughly 60% of Alaska voters "bullet voted," selecting only their first choice on the RCV ballot. To counter this insidious strategy, patriotic Alaskans must "rank the red" — ensuring that every Republican candidate receives a preference, safeguarding against the Left’s attempts to game the system.
Even the Trump administration has recognized the gravity of this situation, filing a lawsuit seeking to block certification of the election if the incumbent Senator loses. The claim? That the candidacy of the "other" Dan Sullivan was a deliberate spoiler, which it almost certainly is. While proving such intent in court can be a reach, the legal action underscores the deep concerns over this manufactured chaos.
The ultimate remedy for this debacle, Alaskans, is already on the ballot: a repeal of ranked-choice voting. RCV, as this unfolding scandal clearly demonstrates, actively encourages this kind of electoral mischief, benefiting only Democrats and their schemes. Vote YES on Proposition 2. Let's dismantle this monstrosity and restore common sense and genuine election integrity to the Last Frontier. Our freedom and the future of fair elections depend on it.
