Super PAC paid $87,000 to firm linked to alleged Alaska spoiler recruitment

Democratic operatives associated with the campaign of U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola sought to recruit spoiler candidates to weaken Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska, according to a New York Times investigation published Wednesday. The report details an internal effort dubbed the ballot composition project, which aimed to exploit Alaska's ranked-choice voting system by drawing votes away from the incumbent.

The operation allegedly began in the summer of 2025 when a Peltola campaign staffer was directed to search voter records for individuals sharing the senator's name. The search identified Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, who entered the race in May. He maintains he ran independently, while Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) both denied recruiting him or any other Republican candidate.

Jerid Kurtz, an Ohio-based operative, is identified as a central figure in the recruitment efforts. Former campaign manager Elisa Rios stated that DSCC officials introduced Kurtz to senior aides in 2025. Rios told the Times that Peltola was definitely aware of the operation but was not directly involved. The report says Kurtz traveled across Alaska using the alias Zane to approach potential candidates in bars and restaurants.

One prospective candidate, Matthew Salisbury of Anchorage, identified Kurtz as the man who encouraged him to run and promised financial support. Another candidate, Gerald Heikes, a drywall contractor who secured a spot on the November ballot, said a Midwesterner encouraged him to run but did not name Kurtz. Federal Election Commission records show a pro-Peltola super PAC paid approximately $87,000 to Wingspan Strategies, a firm co-owned by Kurtz. The PAC denied hiring Kurtz personally.

Text messages reviewed by the newspaper indicate that senior aides, including former chief of staff Anton McParland, discussed the strategy over several months. In January, McParland suggested creating a new right-wing party to attract conservative voters. DSCC director Andrew Piatt replied that the idea was smart. The concept was reportedly abandoned in May. The investigation also noted efforts to persuade Democrat David Leslie to withdraw from the race, which allowed Heikes to take the fourth position on the general election ballot.

The findings emerge less than a week after the Trump administration filed a federal lawsuit to block certification of Alaska’s election results if confusion between the two Sullivans affects the outcome. The Justice Department argues the similar names could mislead voters. The Republican incumbent appears on the ballot as Dan S. Sullivan, while his namesake appears as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. without a party affiliation. The Alaska Supreme Court allowed the second Sullivan to remain on the ballot in June.

Rios, who was dismissed during an August shake-up, gave extensive interviews to the Times but later attempted to withdraw her statements shortly before publication. The newspaper reported that other interviews and documentary evidence corroborated her account. Rios had considered a wrongful termination lawsuit against the campaign but had not filed one. Political consultant Jim Lottsfeldt, who discussed supporting long-shot candidates with campaign employees, denied knowledge of the operation and disputed Rios’s account.