Peltola reschedules Alaska Senate campaign events on medical advice

Contest could help decide balance of power in government

Campaign manager Cheryl Bruce said Mary Peltola rescheduled campaign events “as she takes time to recover” on the advice of medical professionals. Peltola’s campaign said the Democratic Senate candidate had paused campaigning ahead of the US midterm elections while she recovered from the collision.

Peltola, 53, and her family were traveling to an event on Saturday when the vehicle they were in was hit by another driver, her campaign said. “Mary and her family sustained minor injuries but are in good spirits,” Bruce said. Peltola is currently a member of Congress.

Peltola is trying to unseat incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan in the US midterm elections on 3 November. The Alaska Senate contest is one of the most closely watched races in the elections and could help decide the balance of power in government.

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan website that rates and tracks US elections, classified the race as a “toss-up,” meaning neither Republicans nor Democrats hold a decisive advantage.

Certification lawsuit cites possible ballot confusion

Trump told the Justice Department last week to file a federal lawsuit to block certification of the Senate election in Alaska if incumbent Dan Sullivan loses. Trump argued that another candidate with the same name may confuse voters.

The suit says the inclusion of another Dan Sullivan on the ballot could lead some to mistakenly cast their votes for the wrong candidate. The suit seeks to block certification if the incumbent loses, while its confusion argument concerns the other candidate’s ballot placement.

The other Dan Sullivan is a retired teacher. Previous efforts to remove that Sullivan from the ballot have already been rejected by the Alaska Supreme Court.