Top Senate Republican Accuses Schumer of Plot to Confuse Alaska Voters

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso is accusing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of helping orchestrate an alleged effort to confuse voters in Alaska's closely watched Senate race by recruiting a second candidate named Dan Sullivan.

The Wyoming Republican made the allegations during an interview with Fox News, claiming Schumer and the campaign of Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola were involved in a prolonged effort to place a political decoy on the ballot against Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan.

The unusual strategy, first detailed in reporting by The New York Times, allegedly involved operatives connected to Peltola's campaign and senior officials with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee identifying and recruiting another man named Dan Sullivan to challenge the incumbent.

Barrasso accused Democrats of deliberately trying to exploit the similarity between the candidates' names to gain an advantage.

"This is criminal behavior to steal the Alaska Senate race; it's now been fully exposed," Barrasso said. He further alleged that Schumer had worked with Peltola's operation for more than a year to find someone willing to run under the same name as the Republican incumbent.

Schumer's office and Peltola's campaign did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.

The controversy has generated criticism from Republicans in Alaska and Washington, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. She called on Peltola and her campaign to provide voters with an explanation of their alleged involvement.

"Alaskans deserve the honest truth from Mary and her campaign — what has been revealed is a pattern of lies and coverups and a culture of deception that belongs nowhere in our elections or among our elected officials," Murkowski said.

Alaska's ranked-choice voting system has added another layer to the dispute. The ballot will include both candidates named Dan Sullivan, along with Peltola and Gerald Heikes, creating the possibility of confusion among voters unfamiliar with the two Sullivans.

Peltola addressed the controversy Thursday during an appearance in Juneau, insisting she did not know another candidate sharing the incumbent senator's name.

"I knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent," Peltola told supporters. "That is all I have ever known about. I am not interested in tricking voters. I know I can beat Dan Sullivan."

Barrasso dismissed the explanation, accusing Democrats of treating Alaska voters as though they could easily be misled.

He also expressed confidence that the incumbent Sullivan would prevail, while arguing that the allegations reveal a troubling approach to political campaigning.