An Alaska Republican supporter started to panic after realizing he may have voted for “Decoy Dan” Sullivan in the state’s hotly-contested Senate election – rather than the incumbent GOP lawmaker.
Greg Martone could only recall seeing one candidate with the name Dan Sullivan when casting his ballot Sunday, which made him become worried he may have voted for the retired school teacher in the ranked-choice Senate election.
“I might just be having a brain freeze but I don’t remember the second Dan Sullivan,” he told NewsNation.
“There is a slight possibility I voted for the wrong Dan Sullivan,” the voter said as he put his hand on his head.
“I’m hoping I’m just kinda getting paranoid,” he added, laughing nervously.
“I’m hoping he [Sen. Sullivan] was on top,” Martone said while trying to envisage how the candidates were listed on the ballot paper, which also features Republican candidate Gerald Heikes and Democrat rival Mary Peltola.
Daniel J. Sullivan – who has been dubbed “Decoy Dan” – is listed above the incumbent Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan.
However, the teacher’s name is clearly marked Daniel – as opposed to Dan – and it clearly states that Sen. Sullivan is the incumbent.
Fears are mounting within GOP circles that “Decoy Dan’s” presence on the ballot could siphon votes away from Sen. Sullivan, potentially causing him to lose the race.
A bombshell New York Times report sensationally claimed aides for Peltola were instructed to search for candidates with the name Dan Sullivan in a bid to complicate the race, fueling suspicion among the Trump administration that the Democrats are trying to rig the election.
Alaska is one of seven toss-up Senate seats heading into this midterm cycle — with the Democrats currently on 47.
The Democrats need to gain a net of four seats in order to reclaim control.
Peltola’s campaign has repeatedly denied accusations that it was involved in recruiting a Decoy Dan candidate.
But the race is on a knife-edge, with Peltola boasting a one point lead over Sen. Sullivan in a state President Trump won by a margin of 13.1 percentage points, according to an average of polls compiled by Real Clear Politics.
Peltola won the primary with 49.5% of the vote, with incumbent Dan Sullivan trailing behind on 41.4% of the vote. The rest of the vote was split among 14 other candidates.
The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit last week seeking to block certification of the Alaska Senate results if Sen. Sullivan loses. This was dismissed by US District Judge Sharon Gleason – who described the government’s effort as “infeasible.”
The FBI has reached out to donors of Daniel Sullivan asking about potential deception as part of the probe.
Meanwhile President Trump claimed the “fake” Dan Sullivan “is missing in action.”
“HE HAS TOTALLY DISAPPEARED, GONE! NOBODY HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIND HIM.” Trump railed in a Truth Social post Tuesday.
“MAYBE HE HAS BEEN ‘KIDNAPPED’ BY THE CORRUPT DUMOCRAT LAWYERS??? THEY ARE SCARED STIFF OF BEING PROSECUTED FOR ELECTION FRAUD!!!”
Peltola says she’s “deeply offended” by the allegations, which she claimed are part of a “smear campaign.”
“I know I can beat Dan Sullivan,” she told supporters at a rally in Juneau Thursday.
