Alaska Senate Candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Leaves Hometown
Independent candidate's departure fuels allegations of a 'decoy' plot ahead of the election.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
A photo of Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired teacher in Petersburg, Alaska, from a yearbook for the elementary school where he worked.
Photograph: CBS News (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Independent Senate candidate Daniel J. Sullivan has left his hometown of Petersburg, Alaska.
- Sullivan's name is nearly identical to that of Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan, raising concerns about voter confusion.
- Multiple sources told CBS News that Sullivan departed days before the election, prompting allegations he was a 'decoy' recruited by Democratic nominee Mary Peltola’s team.
- A New York Times report alleged Democratic involvement in recruiting the independent candidate, and Sullivan left town shortly before that report.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 11 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 6 of the 17 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
31/100
Craft
57/100
Hype
55/100
17 sources · methodology
Thin on the left so far
Only 1 of the 11 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Daniel J. Sullivan, an independent candidate for the US Senate in Alaska, has left his hometown of Petersburg. His departure comes days before the election and amid allegations that he was recruited to confuse voters due to his name being nearly identical to that of Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan.
Multiple sources told CBS News that Sullivan departed Petersburg earlier this week. These sources have alleged that Sullivan was recruited by the Democratic nominee Mary Peltola’s team as a 'decoy'. A New York Times report also alleged Democratic involvement in recruiting the independent candidate, and Sullivan left town shortly before that report was published.
Disagreement on timing of departure
While multiple sources told CBS News that Daniel J. Sullivan left his hometown earlier this week, one digest report stated he skipped town two days before a New York Times bombshell report. Another digest report indicated he left Petersburg on Monday.
What the coverage left out
None of the right-rated digests mention the New York Times report alleging Democratic involvement in recruiting the independent candidate, which was stated in the left and centre-rated reports.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 51 times, most recently on 1 Nov 2026, 11:45, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
1 rated outlet
- The left-rated report led on the departure of an independent Senate candidate whose name closely resembles Alaska’s Republican incumbent. It stated that Daniel J. Sullivan left his hometown days before the election, adding to unanswered questions in a closely watched race, according to a CBS News exclusive report. The report noted Sullivan departed Petersburg on Monday, citing multiple sources.
Centre
2 rated outlets
- The centre-rated reports highlighted that Daniel J. Sullivan, the independent Alaska Senate candidate with a name almost identical to the Republican incumbent, left his hometown of Petersburg earlier this week, as confirmed by multiple sources to CBS News. One centre-rated digest described Sullivan as the so-called 'decoy' US Senate candidate accused of being recruited to split votes.
Right
8 rated outlets
- The right-rated reports focused on Daniel J. Sullivan, the independent Senate candidate, leaving his hometown of Petersburg days before the election. Several digests referred to him as a 'decoy' and alleged he was recruited by Democratic nominee Mary Peltola’s team to draw votes from Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. One report stated Sullivan left his hometown days before a 'bombshell' New York Times report. Another digest mentioned that the federal investigation centers around claims of voter confusion linked to his candidacy.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Alaska Senate Candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Leaves Hometown?
- Of the 11 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 9% are rated left, 18% are rated centre, 73% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 17. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Alaska Senate Candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Leaves Hometown left or right?
- Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 11 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.
- Is the coverage of Alaska Senate Candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Leaves Hometown biased?
- Alaska Senate Candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Leaves Hometown is one event reported by 17 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Alaska Senate Candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Leaves Hometown?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated left had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Alaska Senate Candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Leaves Hometown?
- 17 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- Who is Daniel J. Sullivan?
- Daniel J. Sullivan is an independent candidate running for the US Senate in Alaska. His name is nearly identical to that of the Republican incumbent, Dan Sullivan, leading to concerns about voter confusion. He has reportedly left his hometown of Petersburg days before the election.
- What are the allegations surrounding Daniel J. Sullivan's candidacy?
- Allegations suggest Daniel J. Sullivan was recruited by the Democratic nominee Mary Peltola’s team to act as a 'decoy'. The aim was reportedly to confuse voters and draw votes away from the Republican incumbent, Dan Sullivan. He has since left his hometown shortly before the election.
- Which news outlets reported on Daniel J. Sullivan leaving his hometown?
- Multiple news outlets reported on Daniel J. Sullivan's departure from Petersburg. These include CBS News, The New York Times, and various digests from outlets such as TrendingPolitics, News Addicts, Breitbart, BizToc, WVII/Fox Bangor, Raw Story, NewsFinale, Internewscast, dailymail.com, Le Figaro, Zero Hedge, and TMZ.
Read it at the source
31 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
3- FBI investigating Alaska Democrat’s campaign (opens NBC News in a new tab)
- Senate candidate leaves hometown as mystery swirls around high-stakes race: report (opens Raw Story in a new tab)
- Trump Administration Sends Reinforcements to Alaska to Investigate Senate Election (opens TVA Nouvelles in a new tab)
TVA Nouvelles — is TVA Nouvelles biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
3- Federal Surge to Alaska After ‘Decoy Dan’ Senate Scheme Revelations (opens Internewscast in a new tab)
Internewscast — is Internewscast biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Alaska Senate Candidate Flees Town Amid Alleged Democratic Sabotage Plot (opens Internewscast in a new tab)
Internewscast
- Daniel J. Sullivan left his Alaska hometown before Senate election, sources say (opens CBS News in a new tab)
Right
14- FBI Floods Alaska Over Senate Ballot Copycat Probe (opens capitalisminstitute.org in a new tab)
capitalisminstitute.org — is capitalisminstitute.org biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Exit of Dan Sullivan Sparks Controversy in Alaska Senate Race (opens News Addicts in a new tab)
News Addicts — is News Addicts biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NEW: 'Decoy' Dan Sullivan Fled Remote Alaska Hometown Just Days Before Bombshell NYT Report (opens TrendingPolitics in a new tab)
TrendingPolitics — is TrendingPolitics biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Report: Alaska’s Second Dan Sullivan Leaves Hometown Days Before Election (opens Breitbart in a new tab)
- UPDATE: “Fake” Dan Sullivan VANISHES as FBI Agents Flood Alaska to Probe Peltola Campaign Election Scheme (opens WLTReport in a new tab)
- Trump Justice Department Surges Federal Agents Into Alaska Over Alleged Democratic Scheme to Confuse Senate Voters - Real News Now (opens realnewsnow.com in a new tab)
realnewsnow.com — is realnewsnow.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Feds ‘surge’ law enforcement to Alaska after ‘troubling new revelations’ in ‘Decoy Dan’ Senate scheme (opens New York Post in a new tab)
New York Post — is New York Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Alaska Senate Candidate Accused of Vote-Splitting Exits Hometown Before Election (opens WVII / Fox Bangor in a new tab)
WVII / Fox Bangor — is WVII / Fox Bangor biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 6 more
- Increased FBI and DOJ Resources Mobilized for Alaska's Senate Race Investigation (opens News Addicts in a new tab)
News Addicts
- Alaska Senate candidate at center of Democrat sabotage plot flees town (opens dailymail.com in a new tab)
dailymail.com — is dailymail.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- "A Heinous Plot": Republicans Denounce a "False Candidate" to the Midterms (opens Le Figaro in a new tab)
- 'Decoy Dan' Skipped Town Two Days Before NYT Bombshell As Feds Surge Into Alaska (opens Zero Hedge in a new tab)
Zero Hedge — is Zero Hedge biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Alaska Senate Candidate Accused of Vote-Splitting Exits Hometown Before Election (opens TMZ in a new tab)
- Trump Administration Sends Reinforcements to Alaska to Investigate Senate Election (opens Le Journal de Montreal in a new tab)
Le Journal de Montreal — is Le Journal de Montreal biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
11- Letter | Misleading voters is wrong; gerrymandering is worse (opens The Cap Times in a new tab)
The Cap Times — is The Cap Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Alaska Investigates Whether Democrats Promoted the Candidacy of a Candidate for Senate Name Similar to that of the Republican (opens lacronicabadajoz.com in a new tab)
lacronicabadajoz.com — is lacronicabadajoz.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Alaska Investigates Whether Democrats Promoted the Candidacy of a Candidate for Senate Name Similar to that of the Republican (opens elcorreogallego.es in a new tab)
elcorreogallego.es — is elcorreogallego.es biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Alaska Investigates Whether Democrats Promoted the Candidacy of a Candidate for Senate Name Similar to that of the Republican (opens elcorreoweb.es in a new tab)
elcorreoweb.es — is elcorreoweb.es biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Alaska Investigates Whether Democrats Promoted the Candidacy of a Candidate for Senate Name Similar to that of the Republican (opens laprovincia.es in a new tab)
laprovincia.es — is laprovincia.es biased? Our profile of this outlet
- PREPARING FOR WAR: All midterm eyes on Alaska’s ‘Decoy Dan’ uproar (opens afnn.us in a new tab)
- 'Decoy Dan' Skipped Town Two Days Before NYT Bombshell As Feds Surge Into Alaska (opens BizToc in a new tab)
- BREAKING: Alaska Senate Decoy Candidate Dan Sullivan DISAPPEARS as US Attorney Announces Surge in FBI Agents to Investigate Peltola Campaign Scandal - Politics, Policy, Political Views (opens Politics, Policy, Political News in a new tab)
Show 3 more
- FBI Resources 'Surge' Into Alaska Election Probe: ‘It Is Serious Now’ (opens BizToc in a new tab)
BizToc
- DOJ official describes allegations concerning dual Dan Sullivans in Senate race as troubling (opens WTX News in a new tab)
- Alaska Senate Candidate Leaves Town Amid Alleged Democratic Sabotage Plot (opens NewsFinale in a new tab)
NewsFinale — is NewsFinale biased? Our profile of this outlet
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