Trump urges Alaskans to vote for the ‘real’ Dan Sullivan in tight midterms battle

President Donald Trump used a rally in Wasilla, Alaska, to press voters toward Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, whose bid for another term against Democrat Mary Peltola has become one of the most closely watched contests of the midterms. Democrats hope to regain control of Congress and constrain Trump for the last two years of his term. Alaska backed him by a wide margin in 2024, yet recent polls show Peltola and Sullivan close, according to The Guardian.

A complication is a third name on the ballot: Daniel Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher who also runs as a Republican and took 2.5% in the August primary. The senator has accused him of colluding with Democrats to siphon off his supporters. Trump told the crowd the Democrats had recruited a lookalike to sow confusion, called that cheating, and said the primary share "could be the difference." The senator's ballot line will identify him as a registered Republican and incumbent. Trump also denounced ranked-choice voting, which lets Alaskans rank up to five candidates, and urged support for a measure to repeal it.

Sullivan charged that Peltola would hurt the state's oil and gas industry. Her campaign said she looks forward to working with Trump on energy and costs.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Guardian’s reporting. Read the full story at The Guardian →