Washington Examiner columnist Salena Zito ripped Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign for allegedly orchestrating a scheme to confuse voters and undermine Sen. Dan Sullivan’s (R-AK) reelection bid.
“There’s always been shenanigans in American politics, but this one cuts deep,” Zito said Thursday on Fox Business’s Big Money in the Morning.
The controversy started when Republican candidate Dan J. Sullivan appeared on the state’s ranked choice ballot along with incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan (R-AK).
Republicans grew concerned about the race after Dan. J. Sullivan garnered 2.5% of the total vote in the primaries, arguing that the two names could confuse voters and cost the GOP votes in the tight race against Peltola.
Zito argued that the move indicates Peltola’s team thinks the tactic would trick people, and shows how “Democrats view voters in Alaska.”
“‘You’re stupid.’ That’s what they’re saying,” Zito said. “‘You are stupid.’”
The New York Times published an exclusive report on Wednesday, titled, “Inside Democrats’ Secret Effort to Stack Alaska’s Ballot.” The report details actions allegedly taken by Peltola’s team to canvas the state for anyone named Dan Sullivan, in an effort to add them to the ballot, “dilute the incumbent’s support,” and push Peltola to victory.
“In the summer of 2025, a staffer for Mary Peltola, the Alaska Democrat who was eyeing a run for Senate, received unusual instructions from top campaign aides: Find as many people named Dan Sullivan in Alaska as you can,” the report said.
“It’s massively deceptive,” Zito said.
Alaska’s ranked choice voting system allows the four candidates with the most votes from the August primary to advance to the general election, where voters can then rank the candidates.
Peltola’s campaign has “repeatedly denied any involvement” in Dan J. Sullivan’s, despite text messages and documents detailing efforts by her campaign to recruit someone with the same name as the incumbent senator and encourage additional candidates to enter the race, according to the report.
Zito said the “real message” is that Democrats thought they could exploit voters, and play on the, “‘You’re rural, you don’t live in New York or D.C., and you’re easily manipulated, and you’re too dumb to figure it out.’”
WHAT COMES NEXT FOR MARY PELTOLA AS HER CAMPAIGN FACES DECOY INVESTIGATION
Zito argued the controversial tactic is going to backfire for Democrats at the polls.
“I think that’s the thing that’s going to turn voters more than anything else,” she said.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
