Trump demands Senate remove Peltola from Alaska ballot

President Donald Trump called on the Senate on Wednesday to block Democratic candidate Mary Peltola from running in the Alaska election. He accused the campaign of executing a deceptive plan to confuse voters by placing a candidate with the same name as her Republican opponent, Dan Sullivan, on the ballot.

The President made the demand in a post on Truth Social. "In Alaska, I do not think Mary Peltola should be allowed to run after carrying out such a terrible maneuver, because this is an electoral fraud," he wrote. He added that the campaign lied to a court about the situation, a move he called perjury.

The dispute traces back to reports from The New York Times. The newspaper published text messages showing Peltola campaign staff discussing the recruitment of individuals named Dan Sullivan. The goal was to register one as an independent candidate to split the Republican vote. The strategy appeared to succeed initially, as retired fifth-grade teacher Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. entered the Republican primary and now appears on the general election ballot as an independent.

Peltola’s team has rejected the President's characterization. They stated that no one on their staff or advisory team worked to find Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. to challenge the claim that they orchestrated the name swap. The campaign denies that the presence of the second Sullivan was a calculated move to mislead voters.

The race is currently tight. Recent polls show a close margin between the top candidates. The Senate must now decide whether to act on the President's request before voters head to the polls on November 3.

If the Senate agrees with the President, Peltola would be removed from the ballot. If they disagree, the race will proceed with all current candidates listed. The outcome will determine whether the seat goes to the Republican or the Democratic nominee in the state's final congressional district.