Sanders says Dems’ alleged Alaska 'ballot-stacking' effort is 'pretty dumb', but it’s not illegal

WASHINGTON, DC: Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on Sunday, November 1, criticized Democrats over reports that operatives helped recruit a candidate sharing the name of Alaska Republican Senator Dan Sullivan to challenge the incumbent, calling the strategy “pretty dumb” but saying it was not illegal. 

Appearing on CBS News’ 'Face the Nation', Sanders also rejected calls for federal intervention into the matter, arguing that Alaska officials should determine how to handle the state’s election. Sanders condemned the policy just two days before the upcoming midterm elections on November 3. 

Bernie Sanders calls Democrats’ alleged Alaska strategy ‘pretty dumb’, but says 'it happens in every election'

When asked about reports that Democratic operatives connected to Senate candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign apparently helped recruit Dan J Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher from Petersburg, Alaska, Sanders said that the move appeared to be an attempt to divide support for incumbent Senator Dan S Sullivan. “Yeah, frankly, what the Democrats did in Alaska seems to be pretty dumb but ... it's not illegal,” Sanders told host Margaret Brennan.

The second candidate, referred to as “Decoy Dan,” was reportedly recruited to run against the Republican senator in an apparent effort to draw votes away from the incumbent. The allegations have prompted scrutiny of Peltola’s campaign and the broader strategy, which has been described as “ballot-stacking.”

Sanders compared the reported effort to a separate contest in Ohio, where a Republican-aligned super PAC has spent money supporting independent Senate candidate Greg Levy in a race involving former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown and incumbent Republican Senator Jon Husted. “It's what happens in every election,” Sanders said.

The Vermont lawmaker added, “So why in Ohio is a Republican right-wing super PAC funding a socialist? The answer is obviously obvious. They want to take votes away from Sherrod Brown. Is this a good thing to do? No, it is not a good thing to do. It's a stupid thing to do.”

Sanders was referring to a Politico report that found Enough Promises Ohio had spent more than $2.7 million combined to support Levy. The spending was aimed at boosting his candidacy in the Ohio Senate contest, potentially drawing votes away from Brown.

Bernie Sanders rejects federal investigation push

Brennan also asked Sanders whether the federal government should investigate the allegations involving the Alaska Senate race. The senator rejected that possibility, saying that election administration should remain with state authorities. “The federal government does not get involved in state elections,” Sanders said.

He also questioned President Donald Trump’s role in determining whether an election was fair, referring to his refusal to accept his defeat in the 2020 presidential election to former President Joe Biden.

Sanders described it as “a little bit absurd” for Trump to decide what constitutes a fair election and added that “people of Alaska can make that decision themselves.”