Peltola Tries to Deflect Vote Rigging Claims With Rally in Bethel

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola held a rally in her hometown of Bethel on Sunday, November 1, two days before the election in which she challenges incumbent Dan Sullivan.

More than 100 supporters gathered in the Bethel Veterans of Foreign Wars hall. Peltola addressed the crowd amid a surge of new legal scrutiny. The race is so close that the Alaska Native vote could determine which party controls the upper chamber of Congress.

The campaign took on new urgency hours before the event. U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Justice Department. That suit sought to delay or block election results if Sullivan lost. Gov. Mike Dunleavy and U.S. Attorney for Alaska Michael Heyman have also launched state and federal investigations into the matter.

The probes focus on allegations that Peltola's campaign recruited a second candidate named Dan Sullivan to confuse voters. A New York Times report recently detailed these ties. Peltola told supporters the claims were new to her.

"I did not know about any of this until I read it a few days ago in the New York Times," Peltola said. "I had no knowledge whatsoever, and I'm sure that I was kept out of it because they know I would never allow this."

She argued that the accusations distract from key issues like soaring fuel prices, salmon crashes, and Medicaid cuts. The top federal prosecutor in Alaska said the newspaper story prompted a surge in law enforcement resources in the state.

Peltola denied needing to manipulate the ballot. "I don't need any sham candidates on the ballot," she said. "That only hurts me." She told the crowd the race was within the margin of error, with one recent poll showing her ahead by three points. Her campaign plans to hold a rally in Fairbanks on November 2 before moving to Anchorage on Election Day.