Alaska Senate Race Faces Federal Probe as Voting Totals Surge Nationwide

Federal investigators have entered the contested U.S. Senate race in Alaska, interviewing Republican challenger Daniel J. Sullivan as part of a Justice Department inquiry. The probe follows a report that the Democratic campaign sought to recruit a second candidate with the same last name to confuse voters using the state’s rank-choice voting system. The race is currently the focal point of national attention due to allegations of wrongdoing that could determine which party controls the Senate.

The New York Times reported that two former staffers for Democrat Mary Peltola launched a search in 2025 for a political novice named Daniel Sullivan. One of those staffers, the campaign manager fired in August, detailed the effort to the newspaper. Peltola denied involvement in the strategy. She stated in a statement that she knew nothing about any other candidate on the ballot except herself and the incumbent, adding that she was not interested in tricking voters.

President Donald Trump ordered the Justice Department to investigate the matter, describing the situation as voter fraud at the highest level. The governor of Alaska has also launched a separate state investigation. In the race, voters on Tuesday will choose between the two Sullivans, Peltola, and a third-party candidate. This contest is one of several high-stakes battles in the 2026 midterm elections.

Voting data released by the Election Lab at the University of Florida shows a sharp increase in participation. More than 42 million people have already voted early in person or by mail, a number that has doubled in one week. Over 60 million voters have requested mail-in ballots, though only one-third have returned them. The turnout is particularly high in Iowa, Ohio, Alaska, and North Carolina, where key Senate seats are up for grabs.

Economic concerns are driving voter anxiety ahead of the election. Inflation stands at 3.7 percent, and the price of a gallon of gas rose to $4.26 last week from $3.05 a year ago. Diesel fuel costs reached $6.35 per gallon, up from $3.62, which impacts the cost of goods as truck drivers pass fuel costs to consumers. Home mortgage rates have also climbed above 7 percent, affecting payments for borrowers with adjustable rates.

In Washington, a federal judge ruled that former Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey was fired illegally by the Justice Department. District Judge Jesse Furman noted that Comey received high accolades from supervisors before her termination. Her lawyers called the decision a victory for civil servants and checks and balances. Separately, the Justice Department has submitted a formal information to prosecutors regarding a new attempt to charge her father, former FBI Director James Comey, with leaking classified information.

A federal grand jury has also declined to indict former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson. Hutchinson, who served as an assistant to Mark Meadows, previously testified about events at the White House on January 6, 2021. Some Republican lawmakers had accused her of lying during her congressional testimony. Grand jurors disagreed with those accusations, clearing her of criminal charges.