OddsFrontAlaska governor won’t commit to certifying Senate result if Peltola wins
Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy told NewsNation that the state’s probe into Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign could affect whether a winner is seated, as her camp accuses him of trying to overrule voters.
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, signalled on Thursday that the state might hold back certification of its US Senate election if Democrat Mary Peltola comes out ahead, Axios reported. The remarks add a new element to a dispute over Peltola’s campaign that has drawn in the White House, Congress and the Justice Department.
Asked in an interview with NewsNation whether he would certify a Peltola victory while the matter is still being investigated, Dunleavy did not give a commitment. “We’re going to investigate it. We’re going to follow the law,” he said, according to Axios. He added that any finding of illegal conduct “may in fact impact whether somebody is seated in the U.S. Senate.”
The governor’s reasoning
Dunleavy said the issue would involve talks with Senate leadership and that officials needed more information before deciding “whether we send something down or not.” When the interviewer pressed him on why he had not simply said yes, he answered: “We’re going to ensure that we aren’t going to send a scam to Washington.”
The inquiry centres on allegations that Democratic operatives recruited a second candidate named Dan Sullivan, the same name as the Republican incumbent, in order to draw votes away from him. Axios noted that Peltola has denied any involvement in the alleged scheme.
Pressure from Washington
President Donald Trump accused Democrats and Peltola’s campaign of fraud and perjury on Wednesday, after the New York Times reported that her aides had helped recruit the other Dan Sullivan. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, is conducting his own investigation into the claims.
Dunleavy has separately directed Alaska’s Department of Public Safety to look into whether the recruitment effort broke state law. The Justice Department, for its part, has gone to court seeking to delay certification of the results in the event that the incumbent Sullivan loses, Axios said.
Campaign response
A spokesperson for the “Alaskans for Mary” campaign hit back in an emailed statement on Thursday night. The spokesperson said Dunleavy’s threat to overrule Alaska voters “exemplifies what Alaskans hate about partisan politics” and described him as the least popular governor in the country. The statement added that Peltola “won’t be intimidated” by Dunleavy, Sullivan or their allies in Washington, whom it accused of trying to steal the election before votes are counted.
What happens next
Timing could matter. Axios pointed out that Dunleavy’s term ends on Dec. 7, less than two weeks after Alaska’s target date for certifying results. Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins is leading in recent polls to succeed him, which raises the possibility that any certification fight could carry over into a new administration.
Axios did not report how Dunleavy might legally block or delay certification, or what findings from the state investigation would prompt him to do so. For now, the governor has left open whether he will send the results on if Peltola wins.