Alaska Senate race involves candidate with same name as Republican incumbent

Mary Peltola, the Democratic candidate in Alaska's Senate race, denied on Thursday that she helped recruit a second candidate named Dan Sullivan to confuse voters. Her former campaign manager said she was "definitely aware" of the plan, but later tried to take those words back.

Republican Senator Dan Sullivan accused Democrats of putting another Sullivan on the ballot to trick his supporters. Election officials listed the two men differently: Dan S. Sullivan as the Republican incumbent and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. as having no party affiliation. Daniel J. Sullivan received only 2 percent of the vote in the primary, while Peltola won 48 percent.

The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation and sent grand jury subpoenas. Alaska's Republican governor has also ordered an official inquiry into the alleged plot.