FBI probes Alaska ballot tactic

Federal agents arrived in Petersburg, Alaska, over the weekend to question local residents about a potential ballot stuffing scheme. The FBI is expanding a criminal investigation into allegations that Democratic operatives recruited a candidate to challenge Sen. Dan S. Sullivan. Agents knocked on the doors of a dozen contributors to Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign. They asked donors if they felt deceived by the lesser-known candidate with the same name.

The probe centers on Dan J. Sullivan, a former elementary school teacher who entered the race in May. He has not been seen in his quiet hometown for weeks. His house remains dark, and his yard displays a League of Women Voters sign urging residents to defend democracy in 2026. Local officials have not heard from him since The New York Times published a report linking his campaign to Democratic strategy.

Alaska’s open primary and ranked-choice voting system allow obscure candidates to disrupt races when no one achieves a majority. This tactic has drawn new scrutiny as Sullivan fights for a third term against Democrat Mary Peltola. Peltola has denied involvement in the maneuver. She told supporters in Anchorage that Alaskans do not trick one another. She also sought to distance herself from the report linking her supporters to a Democratic operator.

The Trump administration previously filed a federal lawsuit to block the certification of Peltola’s potential victory. A federal judge dismissed that suit on Sunday. The Department of Justice immediately appealed. Meanwhile, the Alaska Division of Elections tried to remove Dan J. Sullivan from the primary ballot in June. State courts reversed that decision, ruling he did not file in bad faith.

Residents describe the town as a place where everyone knows everyone. Former teacher Ed Wood donated $1,000 to Dan J. Sullivan to thank him for helping stop a logging project above the city. Retired boat seller Charles Flint called the candidate a progressive thinker. Flint believes Sullivan may now regret his decision. "I am sure he is probably thinking: 'Maybe I should not have done this,'" Flint said.

Not everyone in Petersburg supports the former teacher. Amanda Ohmer, a server at the Moose Lodge, said she was shocked when a known progressive ran as a Republican. She supports the federal investigation. "It is sleazy," Ohmer said. "It does not make it right just because Republicans also do it."

The controversy has placed the 3,000-person fishing community in the national spotlight. Locals joked about the federal attention at a Halloween party. One guest wore an FBI badge. Another wore a jail plate that read "Petersburg Election Scandal." The charge listed was being a registered voter in Alaska.