President Trump demanded Wednesday that votes cast for a Democrat-plant candidate sharing Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan's name be transferred to the incumbent, exposing how Alaska's ranked-choice voting system lets a Democrat lead in one of the reddest states in the nation.
With more than 98% of precincts reporting, Democrat Mary Peltola leads Sullivan by just 626 votes — 48% to 47.7% — according to Alaska Public Media. A retired teacher named Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., running with no party affiliation, pulled about 1.7% of the vote. In a traditional system, those voters wanted the Republican. Under ranked-choice, they're treated as a separate candidate — and the result is confusion that benefits the Democrat.
Trump took to Truth Social with a direct demand: "The vote totals for the Fake Dan Sullivan, plus the other 'slug' that the Dems put on the Ballot, should be immediately given to the REAL Dan Sullivan, and the Election is over - He easily wins. There is no other fair solution! President DJT."
The "slug" appears to refer to Gerald Heikes, the race's fourth candidate. Both minor candidates are set to be eliminated under ranked-choice rules, with their voters' next choices redistributed. That tabulation is scheduled for Nov. 18.
This wasn't organic. The New York Times reported allegations that members of Peltola's campaign were involved in recruiting the namesake candidate. Peltola has denied any involvement. But neighbors of the phony Sullivan told the Gateway Pundit he's "been a Democrat his entire life" and a consistent "Bernie Sanders or, you know, Kamala Harris supporter." One neighbor called him a "Useful Idiot."
Alaska's state Supreme Court upheld a ruling allowing the namesake on the ballot. Trump's Justice Department sued to block Alaska from certifying the result if Sullivan lost by fewer votes than his namesake received, and asked that ballots ranking the second Sullivan be set aside.
The stakes extend beyond Alaska. The Washington Examiner reports Democrats are projected to win at least a 54-seat Senate majority — meaning this single seat factors into whether Trump can confirm judges in his second term. During his first term, Trump got 234 federal judges confirmed with a Republican-controlled Senate. That window is now closing.
Sullivan's own campaign has projected he would narrowly win once ranked-choice votes are counted. But the fact that a Democrat is even competitive in Alaska — a state Trump carried by double digits — shows how ranked-choice rigs the structural game. The system was sold as making elections more representative. In practice, it manufactures exactly this kind of confusion, rewards spoiler candidates, and lets Democrats compete in places they could never win straight up.
Ranked-choice tabulation happens Nov. 18. Even if Sullivan survives the math, the lesson for every red state is already written: adopt this system, and watch the spoiler candidates multiply.
