John Thune Tells Brian Kilmeade a 'Fake Dan Sullivan' Loss Would Need Fixing

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Thursday that if Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan loses his seat by fewer votes than the second Dan Sullivan on the ballot receives, Republicans will have "a problem" that is "gonna have to be fixed."

Thune, a South Dakota Republican, spoke on The Brian Kilmeade Show the day after The New York Times reported that aides to Democratic nominee Mary Peltola, along with national Democratic operatives, helped recruit Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, to run against the incumbent. Peltola's campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) deny any involvement.

Control of the Senate is a toss-up in PolitiKool's polling average, and Alaska is among the Republican-held seats in play.

What John Thune Told Brian Kilmeade

Kilmeade, the Fox News host, asked Thune what he would do if Sullivan, "the right one," lost by one or two points and the Senate changed hands as a result.

Another voice in the studio then asked: "What responsibilities do you have as majority leader?"

What the New York Times Report Alleges

According to the Times, Democratic operatives, including some tied to the DSCC, searched for Alaskans named Dan Sullivan who might run, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Much of the story rests on Elisa Rios, a longtime Peltola aide who was fired in a staff shake-up shortly before the August primary. She later tried to withdraw her remarks before publication, Alaska's News Source reported. The outlet said it could not independently verify the Times' claims and placed the start of the effort in the summer of 2025.

The report puts Peltola's role more narrowly than Kilmeade and Thune did.

"The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign," Peltola's campaign said, according to Alaska Public Media. In a separate clip Kilmeade played and dated to the 21st, before the Times story, Peltola called earlier allegations "completely unfounded." In a clip responding to the Times report, she said: "This is just another distraction."

How the Second Dan Sullivan Got on the Ballot

• 2025: The Times alleges Democratic operatives begin searching for people named Dan Sullivan.
• June 2026: The Alaska Supreme Court overturns election officials' initial disqualification of the second Sullivan, leaving him on the ballot, the Anchorage Daily News and Al Jazeera reported.
• Last week: The Justice Department sues to block certification if the incumbent loses narrowly.
• Tuesday, Nov. 3: Election Day.

The general election ballot lists the senator as "Sullivan, Dan S (Registered Republican) Incumbent" and the challenger as "Sullivan, Daniel J Jr" with no party label, Al Jazeera reported. The Justice Department wants certification blocked if the senator loses by fewer votes than Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. receives. Election law professor Derek Muller told Al Jazeera the department's argument was "so absurdly thin" that it had "essentially no likelihood of success."

How Much the Second Sullivan Could Matter

Alaska uses ranked-choice voting in its general election. If no candidate wins a majority of first choices, the last-place candidate is eliminated and those ballots move to each voter's next choice.

Dan J. Sullivan won 2.5 percent in the primary, the Daily News reported. Peltola leads by 3.4 points in PolitiKool's polling average, 47.6 percent to 44.2 percent.

The Times report came days after Donald Trump said Alaska's ballot is "illegal because it's unfair, if it's unfair". If the margin comes in close to Dan J. Sullivan's total, Thune has not yet said what Republicans mean by "fixed."