Dan Sullivan to accept Alaska election result despite Trump admin push to block certification amid deepening row
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid the escalating controversy surrounding the Alaska Senate race, the incumbent GOP Senator Dan Sullivan said he would accept the outcome of his election, even if he loses.
Sullivan's statement came after the Trump administration filed a lawsuit seeking to block the certification of the results under certain circumstances, arguing that the presence of another candidate named Dan Sullivan could confuse voters and affect the number of votes cast for the incumbent.
Dan Sullivan ready to accept Senate race result amid two Sullivans controversy
Incumbent GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan said he he would accept the outcome of his Senate race in Alaska, regardless of whether he wins or loses, amid controversy over allegations that Democratic operatives tried to recruit another candidate with a similar name to dilute Republican votes.
When asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper on 'State of the Union' in an interview that aired on Sunday, Nov 1, whether he would accept the results only if he won, Sullivan said, "No, I'm going to accept the election results."
Speaking about his opponent, Mary Peltola, Sullivan said she was "not fit for office" following the controversy surrounding the alleged recruitment of a spoiler candidate.
Although the GOP incumbent is ready to accept the poll results, whatever they are, he concluded the interview by saying, “To all the Alaskans out there, get out there and vote. Don’t let this election be stolen.”
Alaska governor and federal government launch probes into Peltola campaign
Sullivan’s commitment to accepting the result come as Alaska GOP Gov Mike Dunleavy has launched an investigation into allegations that Democrats tried to confuse voters. He said last week that if the probe finds "wrongdoing," certification of the Senate race results could be "stopped or changed."
The Justice Department has also launched a separate investigation into the allegations. The probe intensified after The New York Times published a report last week detailing the alleged plan and the reported involvement of people associated with Mary Peltola's campaign.
The Justice Department has issued several subpoenas and document-preservation requests as part of its investigation into the Alaska Senate race.
The department also asked a federal judge to order state election officials to segregate ballots ranking Dan J. Sullivan, the second candidate with a similar name.
Earlier, a lawsuit was filed by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to stop or delay the certification of the Alaska US Senate election results in the US District Court for the District of Alaska.
Mary Peltola denies knowledge of campaign's alleged spoiler candidate plan
Alaska Senate candidate Mary Peltola (D) has repeatedly denied knowing about any effort by people associated with her campaign to recruit a candidate named Dan Sullivan to confuse voters in the Senate race. She has also said she is confident she can win the election regardless.
“I have no idea. I honestly have no idea,” Peltola said when a reporter from Alaska's News Source asked her at a Friday, October 30, rally about the report in The New York Times alleging an effort to recruit a spoiler candidate.
Peltola also said she was confident she could win the race and rejected suggestions that she was involved in an effort to mislead voters.
