Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan said Sunday he would accept the results of Tuesday's midterm elections, while slamming Democratic candidate Mary Peltola's campaign for reportedly recruiting Dan J. Sullivan to run as a spoiler.
"No, I'm going to accept the election results," Sullivan said on CNN's "State of the Union" when asked whether he would accept the results only if he wins. President Donald Trump's Department of Justice has sued Alaska, demanding the state not certify the election if the incumbent Republican loses.
The lawsuit cites theoretical voter confusion over the appearance of the second Sullivan on the ballot, which DOJ says could siphon votes away from the incumbent Republican Sullivan and benefit Peltola. Alaska's Senate race is rated as a "toss-up" by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, and Peltola holds a slight edge in the polling average compiled by FiftyPlusOne.
Peltola has repeatedly denied any involvement with the second Sullivan. However, The New York Times reported last week that her campaign was directly involved with recruiting Dan J. Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher, to run as a spoiler.
Ballot-stacking is typically not illegal, and both parties have used it in past elections. Still, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a criminal investigation into the alleged scheme. Alaska's Supreme Court upheld Dan J. Sullivan's place on the ballot during an earlier legal challenge.
Sullivan on CNN said that the Times report shows Peltola's campaign, along with the Democratic Senate campaign arm, "recognizing they couldn't run on their record, so they had to cheat."
"I think a lot of Alaskans, even Democrats, are thinking she is not fit for office; she's continually lying to the Alaskan people, and I guarantee you she's lying right now," Sullivan said.
Peltola denied any knowledge of the alleged scheme to draft a second Sullivan in an interview with KTUU on Friday.
"I honestly have no idea," Peltola said. "This is offensive to me on a number of different levels; first of all, this is Alaska, we're not in the business of tricking each other up here."
"I've won statewide before, on my own merits, without any tricks involved; I know I can win again," she said.
The stakes of the Alaska race are high. Democrats need to flip four seats while holding all currently Democratic seats to win a Senate majority. Alaska has emerged as a top opportunity for one of those flips.
The midterms will determine which party controls Congress for the remainder of Trump's term in the White House.