Senators Prepare for Possible Dispute Over Alaska Senate Race Result
The Hill reported that senators are preparing for a possible floor dispute over the Alaska Senate race, while Fox News reported allegations of a covert campaign effort in the same contest.
The The Hill reported that senators are bracing for a potential floor fight over whether to accept the results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan (R) and former Rep. Mary Peltola (D). According to the outlet, the dispute could extend to other battleground contests if President Trump urges allies to dispute results he might view as unfair or "rigged."
The Hill's report, written by Alexander Bolton, describes the possible dispute as one that senators are preparing for rather than one that has begun. The text reviewed for this story does not include the full view of Democratic senators on the question, so that position is not reported here.
Fox News separately reported, in a story its headline describes as a report, that the Peltola campaign and Democrats backed a covert scheme to field spoiler candidates in the Alaska race. According to Fox News, the campaign allegedly ran a covert "ballot composition project" to recruit namesake candidates and split the vote against Dan Sullivan.
The two accounts address different aspects of the race. The Hill's report concerns how the Senate might handle the outcome, while Fox News's report concerns campaign tactics that it attributes to Peltola's campaign and to Democrats. The summaries reviewed do not say whether the Peltola campaign has responded to the Fox News allegations.
Taken together, the reports leave open two matters that neither source resolves: the outcome of the Alaska contest, which neither summary states, and the extent of any challenge to it. The Hill described the prospect of a Senate floor dispute as a matter senators are preparing for, and Fox News described the spoiler allegations as allegations. Further detail on either matter was not contained in the material reviewed.
Sources: The Hill: Senate braces for nasty fight over seating Peltola in Alaska Senate race; Fox News: Mary Peltola campaign and Dems backed covert scheme to field spoiler candidates in Alaska Senate race: report.