Trump Says Peltola Should Be Off Alaska Ballot Over Sullivan Plot

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola should not be allowed to stay on Alaska’s ballot, accusing Democrats of perjury after The New York Times reported that aides to her campaign helped recruit a second candidate named Dan Sullivan into the race against Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan.

“Mary Peltola should suffer the Legal and Political consequences for what she has done, A FRAUD ON THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, and Dan Sullivan should be allowed to run without either Mary Peltola or FAKE Dan Sullivan on the Ballot,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. In the same post, he said Democrats’ denials had been “made under oath in Federal Court” and that “they perjured themselves, and should be liable for very serious consequences.”

Trump demands Mary Peltola be thrown off Alaska ballot and accuses Democrats of perjury over ‘fake Dan Sullivan’ plot pic.twitter.com/dnglT2yz0e

— Daily Mail US (@Daily_MailUS) October 28, 2026

“The Democrats cheated”

Trump followed with a second post, according to Fox News, writing: “The Democrats cheated! They found a man named Dan Sullivan, put him on the Ballot, then lied to the Court, and said they didn’t know anything about it. That’s perjury. She shouldn’t be allowed to run, and neither should the FAKE Dan Sullivan!” The Washington Examiner called it a demand for last-minute ballot changes.

The White House also pointed reporters to a post on X from Communications Director Steven Cheung calling the effort a “secret, CORRUPT plan to stack Alaska’s ballot,” Fox News reported.

What the Times reported

The Times investigation, published Wednesday, cites 12 sources along with text messages and documents showing that Peltola campaign aides, campaign lawyers and staff at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee were involved in pushing other candidates to run, including retired Petersburg teacher Daniel J. Sullivan, according to The Hill.

Fox News, citing the Times, reported that the effort was known internally as the “ballot composition project” and began in the summer of 2025, when a Peltola staffer was told to search state voter rolls for Alaskans named Dan Sullivan. Elisa Rios, Peltola’s former campaign manager who was fired in August, told the Times that Peltola did not orchestrate the project but was “definitely aware,” according to Fox.

Peltola and Democrats deny it

The Peltola campaign rejected the report. “The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign,” the campaign said in a statement to The Hill, adding that it “did not recruit any candidates into the race.” The DSCC told The Hill it had “no involvement” in recruiting the other Sullivan.

A federal judge’s ruling is due

The fight over the ballot is already in federal court. The Justice Department sued on Oct. 22, asking a judge to bar certification if Sen. Sullivan loses but would have won had the votes for Daniel J. Sullivan gone to him, pending an investigation into whether those votes were meant for the senator, according to Alaska’s News Source. Trump has said he directed the department to file the suit, The Hill reported.

Peltola’s campaign and the DSCC have asked the court to throw the case out, arguing in a filing that “this case never should have been filed,” Alaska’s News Source reported. U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason fast-tracked the dispute and said she intended to rule by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Alaska time, on whether the campaign and a coalition of voter groups may join the case, according to the same report.

Trump’s posts did not say how either candidate could be removed with ballots already cast. Under Alaska’s top-four general election system, Peltola is the only Democrat on Tuesday’s ballot, facing Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, Daniel J. Sullivan and Gerald Heikes, according to Fox News.

Sources

• Donald J. Trump on Truth Social
• Fox News: Mary Peltola campaign tied to Dan Sullivan spoiler plot, report says
• Washington Examiner: Trump says Peltola and other Dan Sullivan should be thrown off the ballot
• The Hill: Peltola denies NYT report
• AP: Second Dan Sullivan in Alaska Senate race recruited by Democrats, report says
• Alaska’s News Source: Judge fast-tracks Peltola campaign’s bid to dismiss DOJ suit
• Daily Mail US on X

Reporting by Daily Beltway.