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Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola told reporters on Tuesday that she felt that the accusations of fraud by her GOP opponent, incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, and other Republicans may have been the “push we needed at the final end to get people reengaged.”
“Alaskans across the state know that Dan Sullivan voted for this war in Iran 14 times,” Peltola said. “You cannot hide from that, no matter how much mudslinging and name-calling you do. So, I honestly think that to some extent it backfired, and our supporters have said, ‘no, we are not falling for these dirty tricks.'”
The Trump administration filed a lawsuit last month that sought to block the results from being certified if the incumbent senator receives fewer votes than Peltola, but a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit on Sunday. Amid the litigation, The New York Times reported last week that there was a secret effort by political operatives aligned with Peltola’s campaign to help recruit Daniel J. Sullivan to peel voters away from the senator. Peltola has denied any involvement in the alleged plan.
When asked if she was expecting more legal challenges, Peltola said: “I believe in the rule of law. I believe in justice. I believe in our courts, and I have every faith that things will turn out the way they should.”
In Anchorage, Alaska, several voters said they thought the ballot was clear despite the controversy surrounding the two Dan Sullivans, though they differed on whether the dispute itself was legitimate.
Michael Hanson, a 66-year-old Republican who voted for Dan Sullivan, said he was unhappy that the matter was being taken to court and wanted the decision left to voters. Barbara Konrad, a moderate voter who also backed Sullivan, said Mary Peltola had been “corrupted too quickly,” and was frustrated by the volume and tone of political ads in the Senate race.
— Imani Agbionu and Taurean Small
