Democratic lawmakers stay silent on Alaska Senate candidate recruitment controversy

Dozens of Democratic Party lawmakers and governors who endorsed Alaska Senate candidate Mary Peltola have declined to respond to questions regarding an alleged effort to confuse voters in the state, Fox News reported. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that aides to Peltola helped recruit a man named Dan Sullivan to run in the election. The effort was reportedly intended to draw votes away from Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan. [1]

The campaign for Peltola has denied any involvement in the recruitment scheme, according to Fox News. However, Democratic lawmakers who backed her campaign stayed silent when asked to denounce the reported tactic. [1]

The controversy follows previous actions taken surrounding the election. As FTMQ News reported earlier, the Department of Justice launched a criminal investigation into the candidate recruitment, while Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered a state investigation to determine if criminal charges are warranted. The Washington Examiner also previously reported that the state elections office could refuse to certify the outcome of the Senate race. [1][9]

The Democratic Party was founded in 1828 and is the oldest active political party in the world, sitting on the center to center-left of the political spectrum in the United States. Its main national rival is the Republican Party, which has co-dominated American politics alongside it since the 1850s. [6]