FBI agents on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, began reaching out to donors to an Alaska U.S. Senate candidate named Dan J. Sullivan, who shares a name with the Republican incumbent. Federal authorities are investigating whether donors or voters were deceived about the candidate, a retired teacher and musician, in a race that includes Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic challenger Mary Peltola.
The investigation follows reports from The New York Times that the Peltola campaign appeared to be involved in recruiting the second Dan J. Sullivan, of Petersburg, to enter the race. Alaska U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman said the reports resulted in a "significant surge of law enforcement assets" to the state. The U.S. Department of Justice also requested a court order Friday to isolate certain ballots to investigate potential voter confusion.
During the inquiry, an Anchorage-based FBI agent visited a boat dealership in Petersburg seeking Charles Flint, a donor who gave $500 to the retired teacher's campaign. The agent asked Flint’s son if his father felt "misled." Flint told The Associated Press he was not confused, noting he has known the candidate for years and intends to rank Peltola first and the retired teacher second on his ranked-choice ballot.
The federal investigation comes four days before the Nov. 3 general election. The inquiry focuses on whether the presence of a second candidate with a name nearly identical to the incumbent was part of a plan to detract from the senator. Republicans have said confusion could cost the incumbent senator votes in a race that could help determine control of the U.S. Senate.
The probe involves federal prosecutors and FBI agents. If the Department of Justice request is granted, certain ballots would be set aside for review. A person casting a vote for "Dan Sullivan" must distinguish between the incumbent and the retired teacher on a ranked-choice ballot, where voters list candidates by order of preference.
Peltola has denied any involvement, calling the allegations a "smear campaign" to suppress voter turnout. The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.