Trump pledges to return to Alaska to back Sen. Dan Sullivan

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - President Donald Trump will be making another visit to Alaska in his second term, he told reporters Wednesday, to support Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, in his race against former Congresswoman Mary Peltola.

“I’ll go out there to fight for him, just to show you how crooked the Democrats are,” the president said, answering a question from White House Correspondent Jon Decker.

The president said he will visit “the last 30 days before the election.”

“I will go to Alaska to make sure that a great senator gets reelected.”

In a statement to Alaska’s News Source, Sullivan spokesperson Nate Adams says the candidate “looks forward to welcoming the President, and continuing their work of delivering real results for Alaska.

“President Trump is coming back to the state he’s delivered for more than any other president in our nation’s history,” Adams said. “On day one of his administration, President Trump signed an executive order unleashing Alaska’s extraordinary resource potential, ending years of D.C.-imposed lockdowns on our lands, our energy, and our jobs, and green-lighting projects that are putting thousands of Alaskans to work.”

Responding to Trump’s planned visit, the Peltola campaign sent a one-sentence response: “Mary is an independent voice who will work with anyone to put Alaska first.”

Peltola called the Trump administration’s impact on Alaska a “mixed bag” in a July interview with Alaska’s News Source.

“I do think Trump’s willingness to develop energy is definitely a benefit for Alaska,” she said. “I think there’s a lot of relief in seeing a lot of administration folks come in and be open to developing projects that Alaskans want developed.

“I do feel though that there have been a number of very injurious things that have come out of this administration that the incumbent has not stood up for Alaskans on.”

Much of the President’s comments weren’t centered on the incumbent, but directed towards the man with the same name as the incumbent, Dan J. Sullivan from Petersburg, and ranked-choice voting, which he has previously called a “fraudulent” system without evidence.

“We have a very good senator named Dan Sullivan,” Trump said. “The Democrats put up another man named Dan Sullivan.”

There has been no evidence of direct coordination — according to Alaska’s News Source’s own independent fact-checking efforts — to show that the Petersburg Sullivan was recruited by the Democratic party, something that continues to be reiterated by national Republican organizations and the president.

Organizations like the National Republican Senatorial Committee and Republican National Committee say the connection between Democrats is a woman named Amber Lee who has worked with Democratic candidates in the past. Lee was involved with the campaign, Dan J. Sullivan confirmed.

Lee, of Amber Lee Strategies, has worked for several Democratic candidates for Anchorage and state legislative seats and has publicly expressed support for Peltola — but does not list the Petersburg Sullivan campaign as a client on her firm’s website.

“The fact that a political consultant has done prior political consulting is not a legitimate reason for your office to investigate me and demand I supply you with an affidavit under penalty of perjury on less than 48 hours’ notice,” Sullivan wrote in a letter to the lieutenant governor prior to being removed from the ballot, only to be reinstated later by the State Supreme Court.

Lee has never spoken with Alaska’s News Source, despite multiple attempts to get in touch with her. Dan J. Sullivan has also never spoken to Alaska’s News Source, even after a reporter visited his home, declining to talk about his candidacy and calling efforts to interview him “aggressive.”

When asked why the race was so close, the president blamed the Dan Sullivan from Petersburg, Alaska.

“This guy’s a phony,” Trump said. “And he was put up by the Democrats, and they don’t admit it, but it’s been so proven. So I will go to Alaska to make sure that a great senator gets reelected.”

Official primary election results show Mary Peltola in the lead with 49.5% of the vote to Sullivan’s 41.4% of the vote. Dan J. Sullivan holds 2.47%, enough to qualify to the November election but hardly enough to swing the election back in the incumbent’s favor.

“That guy [Dan J. Sullivan] got 2.5% in the recent primary, and that’s — 2.5% is a lot when it comes to winning elections,” Trump said. “And it’s a disgrace. They went to the court and the court made it a little bit easier, they put an initial or something on the one that — but it’s very unfair.

“I will go to Alaska to help Dan Sullivan get elected.”

Alaska’s News Source has reached out to Sen. Dan Sullivan, Mary Peltola and Dan J. Sullivan for comment.

This story is breaking. Check back for updates.

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to refer to the Republican National Committee instead of the National Republican Congressional Committee

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