Alaska Governor Orders Probe Into Peltola Senate Campaign

Alaska's Republican governor has ordered an investigation into whether alleged efforts to recruit a Democratic Senate candidate with the same name as incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan warrant criminal charges or civil penalties. The inquiry focuses on potential voter confusion, while Mary Peltola's campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee deny involvement in the alleged plan.

The dispute comes as Democrats seek to gain control of the Senate in the 2026 midterm elections. CNN's polling across four competitive Senate races found Democrats leading in Michigan and Texas, while the contests in Maine and Kansas remain close.

Experts cited in CNN's report said recruiting a candidate to draw votes away from an opponent did not appear to violate the law. Alaska election officials previously told CNN that the Trump administration has no role in determining who qualifies to run for office.

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit seeking to block election certification if the incumbent loses, citing potential confusion arising from two candidates named Dan Sullivan. The dispute has also drawn calls for Peltola to leave the race and face criminal charges from President Donald Trump.

In Michigan, Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed leads Republican Mike Rogers among likely voters, 49% to 42%, according to CNN polling. The results point to stronger Democratic unity and signs that some discouraged Republican voters may be disengaging.

In Texas, Democrat James Talarico leads Republican Ken Paxton 49% to 43% among likely voters. CNN's analysis attributed Talarico's position partly to negative views of Paxton and support among Black, Latino and Asian voters who backed Trump in 2024.

Maine's Senate contest remains competitive despite earlier expectations that Democrats would have a strong pickup opportunity. CNN polling found Democratic challenger Troy Jackson at 49% and Republican Sen. Susan Collins at 45% among likely voters, with the race increasingly focused on Collins' record.

Kansas also has no clear leader, with Democrat Adam Hamilton polling at 49% and Republican Sen. Roger Marshall at 45%. CNN reported that voters largely viewed Marshall unfavorably, even as likely voters in the state said they preferred Republican control of the Senate.

Early voting data analyzed by CNN across 25 states showed Democrats holding a 14-point turnout advantage among high-propensity voters, defined as people who participated in the previous two general elections. However, a substantial share of high-propensity Republican voters had not yet cast ballots.

Elsewhere in the Senate races, Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens reaffirmed her support for El-Sayed following reports that her fiancé planned to vote for Republican candidate Mike Rogers. Stevens also indicated that El-Sayed could do more to condemn what she described as hateful advertisements.

In New Hampshire, Senate candidates John E. Sununu and Chris Pappas clashed over their political associations. Sununu highlighted Pappas' campaign appearances with former Vice President Kamala Harris, while Pappas pointed to Trump's endorsement of his opponent.

Separately, a federal judge declined to let the Justice Department intervene in California's mail-in ballot counting. The judge warned that the administration's request to segregate as many as 20,000 ballots for citizenship checks would "wreak havoc."

In Texas, a county Republican Party asked a federal judge to require officials to count all ballots by hand before certifying the election results. Meanwhile, young voters in the Pittsburgh area identified political polarization and job prospects as major concerns ahead of the midterm elections, according to interviews conducted by CNN.