Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ( Mike Dunleavy ) ordered an investigation to determine whether there were attempts to recruit a candidate named Dan Sullivan ( Dan Sullivan ) to participate in the state's U.S. Senate election, and whether this candidate, who shares the same name as the current senator, violated any laws.

Dunlevy issued this command on Wednesday evening, following a report by The New York Times on that day. The report stated that members of the campaign team of Democratic nominee Mary Peltora (Mary Peltola) and senior advisors to the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee (Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, DSCC) had attempted to recruit retired teacher Dan Sullivan to run for office, with the aim of siphoning votes away from Senator Dan Sullivan.

The current senator, like Dunleavy, is a Republican.

Pertola's campaign team and DSCC stated in response to an article in The New York Times that they were not involved in the campaign of retired teacher Sullivan.

As the governor issued his order, a federal judge in Alaska allowed Pertola's campaign team and DSCC to intervene in a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice. The lawsuit sought to prevent Alaska from immediately certifying the results of the Senate election, which could be affected by voter confusion, pending an investigation to determine whether the votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan (Daniel J. Sullivan) were intended for Senator Sullivan.

Pertola's campaign team, DSCC, and state election officials have requested that Judge Sharon Gleason (Sharon Gleason) dismiss this lawsuit before the election date of November 3rd.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that it was he who ordered the Department of Justice to file this lawsuit.

The political significance of the Alaska Senate election could be extremely significant. The winner of this election may determine the balance of power in the Senate, where the Republicans currently hold a majority with just a 6-seat advantage.

When announcing the order, Dunlevy pointed out that the Alaska election department had previously investigated concerns that this retired teacher was participating in the Senate primary in order to confuse voters, and as a result, they had prevented him from appearing on the ballot. A state court judge later overturned this decision, and the Alaska Supreme Court upheld this ruling, allowing him to appear on the ballot.

Deng Liwei posted on platform X, stating: 'The new reports largely support the conclusions of the electoral authorities.'

He said, "Therefore, I have instructed the Department of Public Safety to investigate whether this plan violates Alaska law, and whether criminal charges or civil litigation should be pursued. The evidence will determine what happens next."

He also stated, "Alaskans have the fundamental right to vote for the candidates they truly wish to support. Deliberately misleading voters into casting their ballots for someone else undermines the integrity of our elections. Any individual or organization found to be in violation of the law must bear responsibility."

Later on Wednesday, Judge Griesen requested that the Department of Justice respond by late Thursday afternoon to the motions to dismiss the lawsuits filed by Pertola's campaign team, DSCC, the Alaska Women Voters Alliance (League of Women Voters of Alaska), as well as the advocacy group Common Cause. The judge had previously allowed these organizations to become involved in the case as well.

Grisson stated that these groups need to submit any responses by earlier Friday afternoon, after the Department of Justice has responded.

Before heading to South Carolina on Thursday morning to attend a campaign rally, Trump was asked by reporters whether Republican senators should try to prevent Pertola from taking her seat in January if she won the election on Tuesday.

Trump said, "Well, you'll have to see what happens."

He said, "It's hard to believe that she is even allowed to run for election. To be honest, I don't know how anyone could allow someone like her to run for election."

Trump claimed that Sullivan, the retired teacher, "was just there to be used for deception."

"But people won't know this, so no one will know what to do," Trump said.

Both Pertola's campaign team and DSCC have stated that Trump and other Republicans are hypocritical in their statements regarding this Senate election.

DSCC A spokesperson said on Wednesday: "The Republican Party has a long history of recruiting and supporting candidates in an attempt to help their own campaigns – including recruiting a prisoner with an address in New York to compete against Mary Peltola, as well as spending nearly $500,000 in this round of elections to help a resident of Arizona qualify for votes in the Alaska Senate election."

DSCC also pointed out that in this and previous election cycles, the Republican Party has encouraged third-party and underdog candidates to run in order to increase the chances of Republican candidates winning the election.

Alaska election officials stated in a court document that the election department “has taken significant measures to distinguish” between the two Sullivan candidates on the ballots “so that voters can easily determine who each candidate is.”

The name of this retired teacher on the ballot was written as “Sullivan, Daniel J, Jr.”, with no other text beside it.

Just below his name, Senator Sullivan is listed as “Sullivan, Dan. S.”, with “Registered Republican, incumbent” (registered Republican, currently in office) noted in parentheses next to his name.

Alaska election officials stated in court documents, "The United States has no right to interfere in state elections, let alone to do so with the purpose of supporting a favored candidate."