Super PACs Spend $2 Million Promoting Fringe Alaska Senate Candidates

Political action committees have spent over $2 million to promote fringe candidates in the U.S. Senate race in Alaska ahead of the August 18 primary. The strategy employs false-flag operations designed to game the state's open primary and ranked-choice voting system by splitting the ideological bases of the two frontrunners, Republican incumbent Senator Dan S. Sullivan and Democratic challenger Mary Peltola.

Right For Alaska spent more than $1 million promoting conservative candidates Gerald Heikes and Earl Skip Southworth to undermine Sullivan. Despite its conservative messaging, the group received funding from William Harris, a donor to abortion-rights Democrats. On the progressive side, Fair Deal Alaska spent approximately $800,000 promoting Carol Hafner and Arizona-based Green Party candidate Richard Grayson, while the American Democracy Project spent over $240,000 boosting David Leslie.

Internal conflicts have emerged among the funders and candidates. Rishi Bhutada, a major donor to the American Democracy Project, claimed he was unaware of the PAC's involvement in the race and stated that ads promoting Leslie's support for transgender rights were unauthorized. Meanwhile, Richard Grayson has signaled his intent to withdraw if he places in the top four to avoid impacting the general election, explicitly telling voters not to support him.