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Spoiler candidates are nothing new in US politics. It’s clear why Trump is targeting Peltola | Petala Ironcloud

Spoiler candidates are nothing new in US politics. It’s clear why Trump is targeting Peltola | Petala Ironcloud

Summary

The article says the Justice Department sued to block certification of Alaska’s Senate race if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan narrowly loses, but a judge dismissed the suit and the administration planned to appeal. It contrasts that action with similar spoiler-candidate efforts in other states and describes scrutiny facing Alaska Democrat Mary Peltola and Minnesota Democrat Peggy Flanagan, both Native American women running for the Senate.

Key Facts

  • The Justice Department sued over certification of Alaska’s Senate race before votes were counted; a judge dismissed the suit on Sunday, and the administration said it would appeal.
  • President Donald Trump called for Mary Peltola to be removed from Alaska’s ballot and prosecuted, and Alaska’s Republican governor ordered an investigation into her campaign.
  • A New York Times investigation reported that people working with Peltola’s campaign helped recruit another candidate named Sullivan; Peltola and her campaign denied the allegation.
  • Alaska’s Supreme Court declined to remove the other Sullivan from the ballot, and the article says the tactic is generally legal in the state.
  • The article cites past efforts by Trump allies to get Kanye West, Jill Stein, and Cornel West onto ballots, and current Democratic-aligned efforts to promote third-party candidates in Ohio and Iowa.
  • The article says the Justice Department has not intervened in the Ohio and Iowa races, where third-party candidates could draw votes from Republicans.
  • The Wall Street Journal reported that Peggy Flanagan had falsely claimed Phi Beta Kappa membership; the organization confirmed she was inducted in 2002, and the newspaper corrected its story.
  • Peltola and Flanagan are seeking Senate seats; the article notes that no Native American woman has served in the U.S. Senate.
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