Alaska has a Republican senator called Dan Sullivan. The Democrats have now put forward a rival candidate with the same name. This is not permitted and is likely to cause confusion amongst voters. Alaska has a complex electoral system in which the top four candidates proceed to the next round. Some people are speculating about this.
Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) on Wednesday sharply criticised the Democrats for an alleged attempt to recruit another candidate named Dan Sullivan in the Alaska Senate election, and warned that such political ‘dirty tricks’ extend far beyond the state.
“I am grateful that President Trump decided to take legal action, so that they – and the people of Alaska – became aware that there was a fake Dan Sullivan on the ballot paper, recruited by the opposition,” said Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, to Martha MacCallum on the programme “The Story”.
“He wanted to expose these dirty tricks ahead of the election.”
Scott admitted that the Republicans had previously lost a case in the state court where they attempted to keep the other Sullivan off the ballot.
“But what I can tell you, Martha, is that these dirty tricks are, incidentally, taking place all over the country,” said Scott, before going on to criticise the Democratic Senate candidates James Talarico in Texas and Annie Andrews in South Carolina.
The case is under police investigation. It has the potential to damage the Democrats’ reputation.
