The Alaska Senate race remains too close to call as Democrat Mary Peltola has expanded her lead over Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan — but the specter of a ballot-box spoiler nicknamed ‘Decoy Dan’ and the looming ranked-choice count could still upend the outcome.
Updated tallies show Peltola now leads by 4,250 votes with 84% counted, while independent candidate Dan J. Sullivan — allegedly recruited by Democrats to confuse voters — has drawn 4,027 ballots. Another contested Republican challenger, Gerald Heikes, captured 5,318 votes amid swirling claims he too was a Democratic plant.
The Spoiler Factor
Republicans have branded independent Sullivan as ‘Decoy Dan,’ accusing Democratic operatives of engineering his candidacy to siphon votes from the incumbent. President Trump directly accused Democrats of backing Heikes, whose mysterious campaign was reportedly launched by a Midwestern political operative.
Peltola’s camp dismissed mounting GOP concerns, with her campaign manager declaring the latest numbers show an ‘abundantly clear’ path to victory. But Sullivan’s team remains confident ranked-choice voting and uncounted mail ballots will swing the race, noting current totals show Peltola below the 50% threshold needed to avoid an elimination round.
Legal and Logistical Battle
The Justice Department previously sought court approval to delay certification if ballot confusion appeared to cost Sullivan the election, though a federal judge dismissed the request. With the Trump administration appealing, the specter of post-election litigation looms.
All eyes now turn to November 13, when domestic mail ballots must arrive to be counted. Alaska’s Division of Elections will update totals that day, with a final count including overseas ballots due November 18. If no candidate clears 50%, instant-runoff tabulations begin — potentially reshuffling the current 49%-47% split between Peltola and Sullivan.
Bigger Stakes
The outcome could pad Democrats’ incoming Senate majority after surprise pickups in red states. Meanwhile, Alaska’s gubernatorial race remains unsettled, with Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins leading but short of a majority.
Similar drama plays out in Mississippi, where Democrat Scott Colom clings to a narrow edge over GOP incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith as late ballots trickle in. Like Alaska, the Magnolia State contest could help determine the Senate’s final balance of power.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/alaskas-decoy-dan-mess-isnt-over-and-the-next-count-could-change-everything