Staff Reports
The Alaska Senate race just handed the nation another lesson in why elections matter — and why gamesmanship should get prosecuted, not applauded. Democratic candidate Mary Peltola now holds a narrow first‑choice lead over Senator Dan Sullivan in unofficial tallies. But the wild card remains Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. — the so‑called “Decoy Dan” — whose several thousand first‑choice votes are larger than the margin between the two front‑runners. That makes this race a cliffhanger until Alaska finishes counting and runs its ranked‑choice tabulation if needed.
Snapshot: Peltola pulls ahead — but the race is far from over
Right now the unofficial first‑choice numbers show Mary Peltola ahead by only a few hundred votes. About three‑quarters of ballots have been reported, and neither front‑runner has crossed the 50 percent line. That means Alaska’s ranked‑choice rules could decide the winner after vote counting wraps up and absentee and late ballots are processed. The state has said it will run the ranked‑choice tabulation once eligible ballots are in, so this tally is only a preview — not the final score.
Decoy Dan: A joke with real consequences
The story everyone is talking about is the same‑name candidate scheme. Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. — “Decoy Dan” — picked up roughly 3,500 first‑choice votes in the snapshot. That number is bigger than the gap between Peltola and Senator Sullivan. The New York Times reported that operatives tied to Democrats helped recruit same‑name candidates. Peltola’s camp denies wrongdoing, but a former staffer said she knew about the effort. Funny name for a prank. Not funny when it could flip a Senate seat.
Courts, probes and the smell of skullduggery
Legal and law‑enforcement actions followed the reporting. U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed the Department of Justice’s civil suit asking courts to segregate ballots for investigation, noting such a remedy would violate ballot secrecy and was not an appropriate fix. The DOJ has appealed, and federal prosecutors in Alaska have been working the criminal side of the probe, with U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman confirming an active inquiry. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has publicly urged prosecution. This is now a mix of politics, law, and plain old sleaze — and it deserves clear answers.
Why ranked choice and late ballots make this messy
Alaska uses a top‑four primary and ranked‑choice voting in the general. That system reduces spoilers — but it does not render them irrelevant. When the margin between top candidates is tiny, votes for an eliminated candidate can make or break the outcome depending on where they transfer. Add in uncounted absentee ballots and ongoing appeals, and you have a wait‑and‑see finish that could stretch into mid‑November. Claims about specific voided ballots have surfaced, but not all numbers are independently verified yet, so treat campaign figures with caution.
Bottom line
Right now we have an unofficial Peltola lead, a same‑name decoy with enough votes to swing the race, a dismissed but appealed DOJ lawsuit, and an active criminal probe. The ranked‑choice run will be the decisive event if no one reaches a majority. Until then, Alaskans and the rest of the country should demand sunlight, not sleight‑of‑hand. Dirty tricks that toy with ballots undermine trust in elections; if anyone crossed the line, prosecution should follow — not partisan hand‑wringing. Keep an eye on the official count, the DOJ appeal, and any criminal filings. This one is far from over, and Alaska deserves the truth.
