Alaska Governor Orders Probe Into Senate Race Tactics

Alaska Governor Michael Dunleavy ordered an investigation into the conduct of the Democratic campaign in the state's U.S. Senate race on Thursday. The action comes after a New York Times report detailed efforts by Democratic operatives to recruit a third-party candidate. The candidate shares the exact name of the Republican incumbent, Dan Sullivan.

The race is currently considered a toss-up. Democrat Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman, is challenging Sullivan for the seat. The election is scheduled for Tuesday, which marks the final stretch of the campaign. Candidates are making their final stops and delivering closing arguments to voters.

Republicans argue that a second Dan Sullivan on the ballot could confuse voters. They claim this confusion would siphon support away from the incumbent. The Democratic campaign has been working to recruit this potential spoiler candidate to influence the outcome.

Alaska Public Media's Liz Ruskin spoke with election law experts regarding the reported actions. The experts found no applicable state laws that were broken. However, they noted that the conduct described in the report crosses moral and ethical lines.

The investigation is the latest development in a contentious race. It follows a report that revealed the strategy behind the recruitment of the namesake candidate. The governor's office has not provided further details on the scope of the probe.

In Washington, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia. Sylvia oversaw planning at the Pentagon and served on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His removal occurs as the U.S. and Israel prepare for a potential new round of attacks against Iran.

Although Sylvia held a senior position in strategy, planning, and policy, he was not directly involved in day-to-day operations regarding the Iran conflict. The Pentagon is currently investigating a leak but has not provided specific details to the public.

Hegseth has dismissed several generals and admirals in recent months, often without explanation. NPR's Greg Myre says these firings have disrupted senior military operations. The U.S. currently has two aircraft carriers in the Arabian Sea.

A third carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, is en route to the region. According to Myre, it is unusual for the U.S. to station multiple carriers in one area. The last time the U.S. stationed three carriers in the Middle East was during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

In Los Angeles, the Department of Justice subpoenaed election workers. This action occurs amid rising tensions with California officials. The Trump administration is working to identify noncitizens on voter rolls.