Dozens of Democratic Peltola Backers Remain Silent on Decoy Candidate Scandal

Dozens of Democratic governors and lawmakers who backed Alaska Senate candidate Mary Peltola have gone completely silent on a developing scandal. Fox News Digital posed direct questions to 42 of these prominent figures regarding reports that they helped recruit a man named Dan Sullivan to run for office in an alleged attempt to siphon votes from Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan. As of this writing, not a single one has answered.

The New York Times broke the story Wednesday, citing text messages and interviews with former staffers. The report alleges that Peltola’s aides engineered what critics are calling a "decoy" strategy to confuse voters. Peltola’s campaign has firmly denied any involvement, stating they have no connection to either Sullivan campaign. Yet the silence from her high-profile backers speaks volumes.

These are the same politicians who have spent years warning about existential threats to democracy. Sen. Richard Blumenthal declared in 2022 that "voter suppression is poisonous, it is toxic to our democracy." Sen. Chris Murphy argued in April 2025 that those who believe the threat to democracy is urgent must "act like it." Sen. Cory Booker went as far as saying back in December 2016 that "protecting American democracy is a calling far higher than party politics." It is a stark contradiction to hear these lofty principles while ignoring a potential election integrity crisis in Alaska.

Even Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat known for breaking with his party on specific issues, has remained mum. The list of those who did not respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiries is lengthy. It includes Sens. Adam Schiff, Alex Padilla, Maggie Hassan, Chuck Schumer, Catherine Cortez Masto, Angela Alsobrooks, Andy Kim, Brian Schatz, Ed Markey, Elissa Slotkin, John Hickenlooper, Jon Ossoff, Kirsten Gillibrand, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Mark Kelly, Michael Bennet, Ruben Gallego, Sheldon Whitehouse, and Tammy Duckworth.

House members skipped the opportunity to clarify their stance as well. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Chris Pappas, Brittany Pettersen, Eric Sorensen, Mike Levin, Hillary Scholten, Jared Huffman, Josh Harder, Pramila Jayapal, Sarah McBride, George Whitesides, Jonathan Nez, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez were all reached but did not comment. Former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is currently running to retake his seat, and Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford also declined to react to the reporting.

The political fallout is expanding beyond simple silence. The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Alaska on Oct. 22. They are seeking to delay the certification of the state’s Senate election if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses and the votes cast for the other Sullivan could have changed the outcome. The DOJ wants this pending an investigation into whether voter confusion played a role in the result. Alaska’s governor has ordered his own investigation following the New York Times report on the alleged Democratic-linked scheme.

Legal experts from across the political spectrum have told Fox News Digital that this case faces significant hurdles. Trying to infer voter intent from anonymous ballots is a legal minefield. Overcoming the sovereignty of states over their elections adds another layer of complexity. The risk to community trust in the electoral process is high. If a "decoy" tactic was indeed deployed, it strikes at the core of fair representation.

At least one Democrat has publicly criticized the alleged tactic, standing out in an ocean of silence. Peltola’s campaign, meanwhile, did not respond to a request for comment. The question remains: where are the voices that claim to protect democracy when it is under attack by those they claim to champion?

Rob Sand, the Iowa Democratic Party’s pick for governor, didn’t mince words on Sunday. Speaking to Fox News, he declared that "both parties are doing it and neither party should be doing it." The criticism was sharp. Sand labeled these tactics as "manipulating the political system."

The accusation cuts both ways. It suggests a systemic rot rather than a partisan failure. Sand’s stance is clear: the game is rigged, and everyone playing it is guilty.

Why does this matter? Because trust in democratic processes is already frayed. When nominees point fingers at their own side as much as the opposition, it signals a deeper crisis of integrity. Communities watching from the sidelines see little difference between the camps. The risk? A public that stops believing the rules apply to anyone.