Alaska’s Senate race between Dan Sullivan and Mary Peltola remained undecided as vote counting continued.
A second candidate named Dan Sullivan sparked allegations of voter confusion and possible campaign interference.
Both candidates urged patience, with Alaska’s ranked-choice voting results scheduled for November 18.
The US Senate race in Alaska between Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan and Democratic challenger Mary Peltola remained undecided as votes were counted late Tuesday, even as Democrats had already secured control of the chamber nationally in the midterm elections.
The two candidates urged supporters to remain patient as early results came in, expressing confidence in their prospects. The contest was also overshadowed by allegations of an attempt to influence the outcome by fielding a candidate with a name similar to that of the incumbent senator.
Sullivan, a two-term Republican, told supporters, “Lower 48 blue wave. But we’re different.” Peltola, a former US representative, said at her election night gathering, “We are getting our government back.”
Second Dan Sullivan's Candidacy Sparks Controversy
The candidacy of Dan J Sullivan, who secured 2.5 per cent of the vote in Alaska's August open primary, became a central issue in the closing days of the campaign. He qualified for the general election after finishing among the top four candidates.
A report by The New York Times suggested that Peltola's campaign appeared to have been involved in efforts to recruit the lesser-known Sullivan. The report revived allegations by the incumbent senator and his supporters that the retired teacher was a 'sham' candidate whose presence on the ballot could confuse voters.
Peltola denied any involvement in efforts to recruit him. Dan J Sullivan, who lives in the small fishing community of Petersburg, also denied having any contact with her campaign. He had not responded to messages in the days leading up to the election, AP reported.
During her election night speech, Peltola appeared to refer to the controversy, telling supporters that she was looking at a room full of “smart people and know exactly who they’re voting for”.
The US Justice Department confirmed the existence of a criminal investigation last week. However, Alaska US Attorney Michael Heyman declined to disclose the possible offences being investigated or identify those who could be the subject of the probe.
Donors to Dan J Sullivan's campaign also told AP that FBI agents had approached them to ask whether they felt they had been misled by the lesser-known candidate.
The ballot listed the incumbent as Dan S Sullivan, Republican, while the other candidate appeared as Daniel J Sullivan Jr, without any party affiliation.
The incumbent senator, who voted in Anchorage earlier on Tuesday, described the controversy as “the biggest election cheating scandal in the history of the state of Alaska”. He also questioned Peltola's denials, saying the alleged arrangement showed disrespect towards Alaskans.
Candidates Ask Supporters To Wait For Final Results
Alaska's election rules allow ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive up to 15 days after voting, including those cast by overseas voters. November 18 is the deadline for receiving the remaining ballots and completing the count under the state's ranked-choice voting system.
Under the system, voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the first-choice votes, the rankings are used to determine the winner.
Peltola appeared upbeat during her election night address and even took a selfie with supporters. However, she cautioned that the final outcome would take time, despite the gathering's eagerness to celebrate.
She said election officials would have to ensure that every vote was counted, including ballots from remote communities, small settlements, overseas service members and young people studying at colleges.
“It’s going to take a long time to make sure we’re counting every vote from every far-flung hinterland community, from every tiny outpost, from all of our service members serving overseas, our young people going to colleges,” she said.
Sullivan also acknowledged that the final results would take time to emerge. However, he expressed confidence that he would secure re-election once all ballots had been counted.
