The Japan Times - Trump tees up Alaska election challenge over same-name candidate 'fraud'

His comments came as the state's governor said she had ordered a probe into claims in The New York Times that aides to Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola had secretly recruited "spoiler" candidates -- including one named Dan Sullivan like the Republican incumbent.

"If they don't correct this it would be certainly a dishonest election," Trump told reporters when asked about remarks earlier this week saying he would recognize the results of the US midterms so long as they were "honest."

"It's very unfair. It's very confusing and meant to be. It's a fraud."

Trump said last week that he had ordered a Justice Department lawsuit seeking to prevent certification of Alaska's election result if the sitting Republican senator loses.

But his comments on Thursday were his clearest hint yet that he will challenge any Alaska loss result come what may -- and ramped up broader questions about whether he will accept other possible midterm defeats.

Polls show Republicans are on track to lose control of the House of Representative and possibly the Senate, with voters angered by the cost of living and disapproving of Trump's war on Iran.

The tale of the two Dan Sullivans and the allegations about the Democratic candidate's conduct have electrified a race that could decide whether the Senate flips or not.

Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from a remote Alaskan fishing community, has said he entered the race of his own volition to challenge Daniel S. Sullivan, the current Republican senator.

- 'Tricking voters' -

Alaska's Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy also joined the fray, saying the alleged Democratic actions were a bid to "deliberately confuse voters and misdirect their votes."

In a post late Wednesday on X, Dunleavy said he was directing the Department of Public Safety to "investigate whether this scheme violated Alaska's laws and whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted."

"Alaskans have a fundamental right to vote for the candidate they actually intend to support," he said. "Deliberately tricking voters into casting their ballots for someone else strikes at the integrity of our elections."

Trump demanded on Wednesday that Peltola and the man he called the "FAKE Dan Sullivan" be removed from next week's ballot, and called for Peltola and any other alleged accomplices to be prosecuted.

The New York Times noted that recruiting candidates to split an opponent's vote -- a practice known as ballot stacking -- is generally legal and has been used by both parties in Alaska.

The newspaper's investigation did not establish any criminal wrongdoing.

Peltola's former campaign manager Elisa Rios told the Times the candidate was "definitely aware" of the project but was not directly involved.

In June Alaska's Supreme Court upheld the retired teacher's right to run, rejecting Republican efforts to remove him from the ballot.

The state has asked a federal judge to dismiss the Justice Department's lawsuit, arguing it has no legal basis.

K.Nakajima--JT