Alaska voters react to allegations of a spoiler in the U.S. Senate race

Key Points:

• The Alaska U.S. Senate race, a key contest for Senate control, faces controversy after a New York Times report alleged Democratic operatives recruited a spoiler candidate, a claim not independently verified by NPR but included in a DOJ lawsuit seeking to block election certification if Republican Senator Dan Sullivan narrowly loses.
• A federal judge in Anchorage is expected to rule soon on motions to dismiss the DOJ lawsuit, while Alaska's Governor has ordered an investigation into whether the alleged spoiler recruitment violated any laws; legal experts express skepticism about the lawsuit's legal merit, noting Alaska law does not consider candidate motives.
• Local reactions are mixed, with some Democratic supporters condemning the spoiler tactic as unethical but still supporting candidate Mary Peltola, while Republicans defend their actions, citing similar past efforts to place spoiler candidates on ballots to confuse voters.
• The race remains highly competitive, with President Trump campaigning for Sullivan and Peltola focusing on affordability issues despite addressing the spoiler allegations; both candidates continue active campaigning in the final days before the election.