The United States midterm elections are approaching, and the controversy surrounding two federal senator candidates in Alaska remains unresolved.
In the state's congressional race, two "Dan·Shai-wen" appeared on the ballot: one seeking re-election as a Republican senator Dan S. Sullivan, and another from a small fishing village retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan Jr..
On October 30th, local time, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began contacting Dan J. Sullivan’s donors to inquire about any possible fraud. Meanwhile, the federal government announced that a criminal investigation would be conducted against this ‘fake Sullivan’. The U.S. Department of Justice also urged the court to order the separation of some votes in Alaska in order to investigate potential cases of voters casting wrong ballots.
On that day, an FBI agent stationed in Anchorage, Alaska, went to the small fishing village where Dan J. Sullivan lived. He also left a business card for Charles Flint, the owner of a ship dealership.
Flint told the Associated Press that he had known Dan J. Sullivan for many years. Sullivan was a respected teacher and musician. He said that he had donated $500 to Sullivan’s campaign, and he respected Sullivan’s spirit of “daring to run for office”.
"I absolutely don't think I was misled," said Flint when asked if he felt misled while voting.
Dan S. Sullivan (left) and Dan J. Sullivan in a profile photo.
In the past few months, Republicans in Alaska, USA have seen their popularity plummet. They found that there were two “Dan Sullivan”s on the ballots. The two individuals share the same name and surname, with only a single suffix difference between them.
On October 28th, the American newspaper The New York Times revealed that this was a plot by the Democratic candidate for the state office, Mary Petrova’s team. They carefully selected and secretly recruited a candidate with the same name as their competitor, in an attempt to divert Republican voters’ support.
After the matter was exposed, Pertola strongly denied the accusations, stating that Republicans were trying to divert public attention from the high prices of energy.
This matter directly alarmed the White House. That night, U.S. President Donald Trump called for the disqualification of Peltona and “the fake Sullivan” from the election. It was also reported that Trump had ordered the Department of Justice to conduct an investigation. American media noted that Sullivan had a close relationship with Trump, and both parties considered Alaska one of the key states in winning control of the Senate.
The state election department has taken measures to differentiate voters’ ballots. US media reports
Alaska has become the most chaotic battleground for the US Senate race. According to The Wall Street Journal, with winter approaching and mid-term elections nearing, high gasoline and home heating oil prices have sparked anger in voters towards Trump, driving a “Monkey King” political circus that has made the state senate seat election one of the most competitive races nationwide.
Ironically, while the Republicans are now making claims of "justice," they themselves have also engaged in tactics similar to "fraudulent voting manipulation."
On the 30th local time, at a campaign rally in Anchorage, Pelotora once again denied the accusations. She said she was 'very angry' about the accusations, calling them 'trash' and part of a 'smear campaign' aimed at suppressing turnout on the eve of the election.
