Democrats caught cheating just before election
Ruthless breaks down an explosive new report about an alleged Democratic plan to manipulate the Alaska Senate race by recruiting candidates to run against Dan Sullivan, raising serious questions for Mary Peltola and Chuck Schumer. Plus, King of the Hill returns with Bill Kristol facing Steve Schmidt, and Americans for Prosperity’s Katelyn Bledsoe joins the “show” to reveal what voters are saying about affordability, socialism and the midterm elections.
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While prominent Democrats have spent years warning of threats to democracy, dozens of lawmakers and governors who supported Alaska Senate candidate Mary Peltola declined to answer questions from Fox News Digital about an alleged attempt to confuse voters and potentially cost Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan his seat.
The New York Times reported Wednesday that aides to Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola helped recruit a man named Dan Sullivan to run in an alleged effort to draw votes from incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan — although Peltola’s campaign has denied any involvement.
Fox News Digital contacted 42 Democratic lawmakers and governors who supported Peltola to ask if they would denounce the alleged efforts to mislead Alaska voters.
At the time of publication, not a single one responded.
MARY PELTOLA’S CAMPAIGN, DEMS SUPPORTED BY COVERED PROJECT FOR SPOILER CANDIDATES IN ALASKA SENATE RACE: REPORT
Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and former Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) (Nathaniel Wilder/Bloomberg via Getty Images) ((Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) (Nathaniel Wilder/Bloomberg via Getty Images))
Senator Richard Blumenthal, for example, declared in 2022 that “voter suppression is poison, it is toxic to our democracy.” His colleague, Senator Chris Murphy, argued in April 2025 that “those of us who believe the threat to democracy is urgent” must “act accordingly”.
And Senator Cory Booker said in December 2016 that “protecting American democracy is a far higher calling than party politics.”
“DECOY DAN” SULLIVAN CASE LEADS SENIOR SENATOR TO BREAK FOUR-YEAR SILENCE: “PATTERN OF LIES”
Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and former Rep. Mary Peltola, Alaska Democrat and U.S. Senate candidate, right, raise paddles during the 2026 Alaska Fisheries debate in Kodiak, Alaska, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (Nathaniel Wilder/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Despite their staunch defenders of democracy and their insistence that its protection should transcend party politics, none of these lawmakers responded to Fox News Digital’s questions about the alleged efforts to mislead Alaska voters.
Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat who made a name for himself by publicly breaking with his party on some issues, has also remained silent on the controversy.
Peltola asserted that his campaign “has no involvement in either of Sullivan’s campaigns.” The Times, for its investigation, relied on text messages it obtained as well as interviews with former members of the campaign.
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Alaska on Oct. 22 seeking to delay certification of the state’s Senate election if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan lost and votes cast for the other Sullivan could have changed the outcome, pending an investigation into whether voter confusion played a role in the outcome.
ALASKA GOVERNOR ORDERS INVESTIGATION AFTER NYT REPORT ON DEM-RELATED SENATE ELECTION PLAN
Dan J. Sullivan, who ran for U.S. Senate in Alaska, poses for a photo in Petersburg, Alaska, June 26, 2026. (Katie Holmlund/Associated Press)
Legal experts from across the political spectrum who have previously spoken to Fox News Digital said the case faces significant challenges, including trying to infer voter intent from anonymous ballots and overriding states’ sovereignty over their elections.
Other Democratic senators contacted by Fox News Digital included Senators Adam Schiff, Alex Padilla, Maggie Hassan, Chuck Schumer, Catherine Cortez Masto, Angela Alsobrooks, Andy Kim, Brian Schatz, Ed Markey, Elissa Slotkin, John Hickenlooper, Jon Ossoff, Kirsten Gillibrand, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Mark Kelly, Michael Bennet, Ruben Gallego, Sheldon Whitehouse and Tammy Duckworth.
U.S. House members contacted by Fox News Digital included Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Chris Pappas, Brittany Pettersen, Eric Sorensen, Mike Levin, Hillary Scholten, Jared Huffman, Josh Harder, Pramila Jayapal, Sarah McBride, George Whitesides, Jonathan Nez and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.
Former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is not currently holding office but is running to regain his Senate seat, and Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford were also asked for their reactions to the reporting.
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Democratic governors. Wes Moore of Maryland, Gavin Newsom of California, as well as former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper – who is in the middle of a Senate campaign – were also contacted for comment.
Peltola’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
At least one Democrat has publicly criticized this alleged tactic. Democratic candidate for Iowa governor Rob Sand told Fox News on Sunday that “both parties are doing it and neither party should be doing it,” calling such efforts “manipulation of the political system.”
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