Donald Trump turned his attention to Alaska’s closely watched Senate race just hours before Americans headed to the polls for the midterm elections. The president posted a late-night message on Truth Social targeting candidate Dan J. Sullivan, who has faced allegations of being recruited as a spoiler in the race. Trump questioned Sullivan’s whereabouts and renewed his criticism of Democrats as the contest entered its final hours
Donald Trump goes on late-night rant ahead of midterms
Donald Trump published an all-caps Truth Social post shortly after 1 a.m. ET on Election Day. The president claimed Dan J. Sullivan Jr. had “totally disappeared” and suggested, without offering evidence, that he may have been “kidnapped” by what he called “corrupt Democrat lawyers.”
Dan J. Sullivan is running in Alaska’s Senate race alongside incumbent Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, Democrat Mary Peltola, and Republican candidate Gerald Heikes. The similar names of the two Sullivans have raised concerns about possible voter confusion on the ballot
According to The Daily Beast, Dan J. Sullivan has been accused of acting as a spoiler candidate after reports alleged that operatives linked to Mary Peltola’s campaign helped recruit him. However, Sullivan has denied coordinating with Peltola’s campaign. In an earlier interview with the Associated Press, he said he had ‘zero, none, zilch’ contact with Democratic officials about entering the race. Peltola has also denied knowing about or participating in efforts to recruit him.”
CBS News reported that Sullivan left his hometown of Petersburg earlier in the week. It did not establish that he disappeared after the federal investigation became public. The investigation concerns alleged efforts to recruit him and possible voter confusion; it is not evidence that Sullivan himself committed a crime. No one has been charged with a crime. An AtlasIntel poll released Monday showed Peltola leading Sen. Dan S. Sullivan by 50% to 44%, with Dan J. Sullivan receiving less than 1% support
The legal battle surrounding the race also continued before Election Day. On November 1, a federal judge dismissed the Justice Department’s lawsuit seeking to block certification of Alaska’s Senate election if Sen. Sullivan lost. The judge questioned the government’s legal standing and found that its proposed investigation into potentially confused ballots was not feasible. Following the ruling, Peltola’s campaign described the decision as ‘a victory for democracy’ while criticizing efforts to challenge Alaska’s election process.
