US Democrats allegedly recruited 'spoiler' candidates to undermine Republican senator in Alaska

ByJERUSALEM POST STAFFOCTOBER 28, 2026 20:56

Democratic operatives working with US Senate candidate Mary Peltola's campaign sought to recruit spoiler candidates to undermine Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska's closely contested Senate race, according to a New York Times investigation published Wednesday, which uncovered an extensive operation involving campaign aides, national Democratic officials, and a political consultant operating under a false identity.

The operation, internally dubbed the "ballot composition project," sought to exploit Alaska's unusual election system by recruiting candidates who could draw votes away from the Republican incumbent, including another candidate named Dan Sullivan.

The findings emerged less than a week after the Trump administration filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block certification of Alaska's Senate election results if confusion between the two candidates named Sullivan affects the outcome.

Double Dan Sullivan

According to the Times, the effort began in the summer of 2025, when a Peltola campaign staffer was instructed to search Alaska voter records for individuals sharing the Republican senator's name.

The search eventually led to Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, a small fishing community in southeastern Alaska, who entered the Senate race in May. He has maintained that he decided to run independently.

Peltola's campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) both denied involvement in recruiting candidates.

"The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign and did not recruit any candidates into the race," the campaign told the Times.

The DSCC similarly denied recruiting Sullivan or any other Republican candidate.

Democratic operative allegedly used false identity to recruit candidates

The investigation identified Jerid Kurtz, an Ohio-based Democratic operative, as a central figure in the recruitment effort.

According to former Peltola campaign manager Elisa Rios, Kurtz was introduced to senior campaign aides by DSCC officials in 2025 and subsequently participated in discussions about potential spoiler candidates.

Rios, who was dismissed during an August campaign shake-up, told the Times that Peltola was not directly involved in the operation but was "definitely aware."

The report described Kurtz traveling throughout Alaska using the name "Zane" while approaching potential candidates in bars, restaurants, and private meetings.

One prospective candidate, Matthew Salisbury of Anchorage, said an individual identifying himself as Zane repeatedly encouraged him to enter the race, offering potential financial support through outside political spending.

After receiving a photograph of Kurtz from the Times, Salisbury identified him as the individual who had approached him.

The operation also allegedly involved efforts to recruit Gerald Heikes, a Republican drywall contractor who ultimately secured a place on the November ballot.

Heikes told the Times that a man from the Midwest had encouraged him to run and promised outside support. He did not identify that individual as Kurtz.

Federal Election Commission records cited by the Times showed that a pro-Peltola super PAC paid approximately $87,000 to Wingspan Strategies, a firm co-owned by Kurtz. The PAC denied hiring or paying Kurtz personally for services.

Kurtz did not respond to the newspaper's requests for comment.

Secret messages reveal discussions about manipulating ballots

Text messages reviewed by the Times indicated that senior Peltola campaign aides and DSCC officials discussed the recruitment operation over several months.

Among those involved in the communications were Anton McParland, Peltola's former chief of staff, and Andrew Piatt, the DSCC's director of campaigns.

In January, McParland raised the possibility of establishing a new right-wing political party to attract conservative voters who might otherwise support the incumbent senator.

"Imagine if there was a MAGA party!" McParland wrote.

"Smart," Piatt replied. "Let's see."

The idea was reportedly abandoned in May.

The investigation also described efforts to persuade Democrat David Leslie to withdraw after he advanced through Alaska's August primary. His departure allowed Heikes to claim the fourth position on the general election ballot.

According to the Times, Kurtz contacted Leslie before his withdrawal and later congratulated him.

The August primary resulted in both candidates named Sullivan advancing alongside Peltola, with the eventual four-person ballot containing three candidates other than the Democrat.

Former campaign manager retracts statements

Rios provided extensive interviews about the alleged operation over two months, according to the Times, but later attempted to withdraw her statements.

The newspaper reported that she contacted its journalists shortly before publication and said she no longer wanted to serve as a source.

The Times said its reporting was corroborated by other interviews and documentary evidence, including text messages and records connected to the campaign.

Rios had reportedly been considering a wrongful termination lawsuit against Peltola's campaign but had not filed one.

The Times also reported that political consultant Jim Lottsfeldt had discussed supporting long-shot candidates through outside spending during a dinner with campaign employees.

Lottsfeldt denied knowledge of the operation and disputed Rios's account.

Justice Department lawsuit adds pressure before election

The revelations come as Alaska's Senate race attracts growing national attention, with Democrats seeking to capture Republican-held Senate seats in the November midterms.

The Justice Department's lawsuit argues that the presence of two candidates named Sullivan could mislead voters and improperly influence the results.

The Republican incumbent appears on the ballot as Dan S. Sullivan, identified as the incumbent and a registered Republican, while his namesake appears as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., without a party affiliation.

The Alaska Supreme Court ruled in June that the second Sullivan could remain on the ballot, rejecting attempts to disqualify him.

Alaska uses ranked-choice voting, under which voters can rank candidates by preference, with subsequent preferences counted if no candidate initially secures a majority.

Election law experts have questioned the federal government's legal basis for challenging certification over potential voter confusion.

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