In Alaska, Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan accuses his Democratic opponent Mary Peltola of lying about her campaign’s role in recruiting a decoy candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., intended to confuse voters in a pivotal Senate race.

Sullivan condemned Peltola in a CNN interview, labeling her as “lying” to Alaskans and saying she is unfit for office.

He warned that allies of Peltola allegedly recruited a decoy candidate to run for the seat to mislead voters.

The Trump administration is weighing criminal charges related to a ballot-stacking tactic that could amount to election interference.

The DOJ sought a stay on certification to allow post-election review of ballots ranking the second Sullivan, but a court found the move unimplementable and potentially harmful to voter participation.

Analysts note cross-cutting implications for election integrity in Alaska’s small fishing communities, with legal concerns over campaign tactics.

The U.S. Attorney for Alaska confirmed a criminal investigation, with federal authorities seeking to preserve ballots ranking Daniel J. Sullivan for potential review.

Sullivan says he will accept the election results and urges voters not to view the process as a theft, even as he believes the decoy tactic could siphon votes.

He notes the race remains tight and that the decoy could influence decisions, while awaiting legal conclusions before accepting the outcome.

Alaska’s top-four ranked-choice voting system means the general election results will be determined by ranked-choice voting, not a simple plurality.

The top-four primary system allows a general election with ranked choices, and Dunleavy argues this setup contributed to the emergence of the second Sullivan.

Despite the controversy, Sullivan projects a close race and commits to accepting the results once legal determinations are made.