The Daily · 2026-10-29
A Plan for Two Dans: How Democrats Manipulated Alaska’s Ballot
This is Wakewire's analysis, based on the recording and the passages quoted here. Tone and candor labels are our read, not a finding about anyone's motive. Our standards
- Source
- The Daily · Episode page
- Released
- 2026-10-29
- We read it
- 2026-10-29
- Recording
- Recording has gaps
- Read confidence
- low
- Review
- Passed automatic checks
What the episode covered
Kellen Browning said his reporting found Democrats connected to Mary Peltola’s campaign and the national party helped get another Dan Sullivan onto Alaska’s Senate ballot. The conversation uses a mixed register, with concrete reporting scenes but a major transcript break before the evidence is shown. Watch whether courts, election officials, or the campaigns produce records that clarify legality, voter confusion, and the ranked-choice outcome.
Our summary, written from the transcript. Not the speakers' words.
The episode, in order
01Source condition
The available record appears partial or corrupted, so the strongest evidentiary portion of the episode may be missing from this transcript.
02Ballot setup
The core issue is whether the similar names could divert votes from the incumbent Republican senator.
03Reported Democratic involvement
That is the episode’s central allegation, but the transcript excerpt does not preserve the detailed evidentiary trail.
04Legality
The episode separates the political and ethical significance from the unresolved legal question.
05Voter impact
The practical effect depends on ballot design, voter behavior, and how many voters fill out rankings.
Sponsors named in this episode
| Sponsor stated | Where, claim and disclosure |
|---|---|
| Schwab |
|
| The New York Times |
|
| Serial Productions and The New York Times |
|
| The Book Review |
|
No sponsor named doesn't mean no ads. Each row was taken from the ad break as it was read on air. The verbatim passage behind every row is checked against the transcript character for character. Short excerpts appear below.
Roles and stated affiliations
Stated affiliation. Michael Barbaro: He hosts the episode and frames the investigation’s significance for listeners. · Schwab: The sponsor segment promotes Schwab investing and directs listeners to Schwab.com.
Wakewire's read of interests
- Kellen Browning: He is the Times political reporter presenting and defending the reporting described in the episode.
- Mary Peltola campaign: The episode says the campaign wanted to defeat Senator Dan Sullivan and had said it had no connection to Dan J. Sullivan.
- National Democratic party: The episode says national Democrats were involved in the plan Browning describes.
- Republicans and Senator Dan Sullivan: The episode says Republicans argued the second Dan Sullivan could confuse voters and harm the incumbent senator.
- President Trump: The episode says he posted that Democrats had illegally searched for and recruited a man named Dan Sullivan.
Recording limits
- The transcript contains a repeated scenic passage and an abrupt jump from the Petersburg interview to a legal discussion, leaving the evidentiary middle of the reporting unavailable.
Claims that need more support
- Browning said Democrats with the Peltola campaign and the national party engaged in a secretive plan, but this transcript excerpt does not supply the documents, communications, or named counterparties that establish that chain.
Claims made on air that the episode itself did not back up.
Questions the conversation didn't reach
- The conversation raises whether ranked-choice voting would mitigate confusion, but it does not answer how many voters might rank only one Dan Sullivan or mis-rank the candidates.
Topics the episode did not address. This does not mean anyone avoided them.
Are you from this show? You can ask for a correction, reply, or ask us to stop coverage on the rights page.
The read
The literal surface is that Browning’s investigation says Democrats helped recruit or enable a same-name candidate in Alaska, while Republicans’ confusion argument had been dismissed by Democrats before the Times reporting. The signal is the contrast between prior denials and Browning’s direct statement that the Democratic-connection account was “simply not true.” The conversational fodder is the scenic Alaska color and the repeated whale-tour passage, which does not add evidence and appears to be a transcript problem. A charitable read is that the episode is separating hardball politics from illegality by saying no clear legal violation was found. A boring read is that this is a familiar ballot tactic in a close race, amplified by timing and name similarity. A skeptical read is that the episode’s strongest evidentiary links are not visible in this transcript, so the listener is asked to rely on the Times investigation without seeing the underlying documents, sources, or communications in the supplied text.
This read assumes: The supplied transcript is the only source being evaluated. The missing or corrupted middle section may have contained evidence not available here. The episode’s own legal framing matters because it says no clear illegality was found.
Every opinion labeled as one. This is Wakewire's analysis of the recording, not a finding about anyone's motive.
What was said
Source condition
The transcript begins with a Schwab ad, moves into the Alaska Senate story, repeats a scenic interview passage many times, then jumps abruptly into a legal discussion.
Ballot setup
The episode describes four candidates on Alaska’s Senate ballot, including Mary Peltola, Senator Dan Sullivan, and another candidate named Dan J. Sullivan.
Reported Democratic involvement
Browning said his reporting found Democrats with Peltola’s campaign and the national party were involved in a secretive plan to help Peltola by stacking the ballot.
Legality
Browning said the Times did not find evidence of something clearly illegal and noted that ballot stacking has been used by both parties.
Voter impact
The host said the sample ballot could be slightly confusing, while Browning said ranked-choice voting could mitigate some confusion if voters rank both Sullivans.
Our paraphrase, not the speakers' words.
The passages we relied on
"Instead, my reporting found that's simply not true. In fact, Democrats with the Mary Peltola campaign and with the national party engaged in an audacious secretive plan dating back to last year designed to help Mary Peltola win by stacking…"
"Investing with Schwab is like spending a Saturday at a great farmers' market. You can fill your reusable tote with a"
"Investing with Schwab is like spending a Saturday at a great farmers market."
"You can read more from Kellen Browning and our entire political desk on The New York Times app. The Times is"
"Hi, this is Sarah Koenig with news about our latest podcast from Serial Productions and The New York Times. It's called"
"I'm Gilbert Cruz. This week on The Book Review podcast, we have a special Halloween treat, or trick, or treat. Two"
Short excerpts, credited to the show, at most 40 words each and 150 per episode. We do not publish transcripts. We link to the episode so you can hear it from the show itself.
What to watch for
- A court rules on whether the Justice Department can challenge certification based on votes received by Dan J. Sullivan. (After election litigation develops.)
- Election results show Dan J. Sullivan receiving enough first-choice votes that the margin between Mary Peltola and Senator Dan Sullivan becomes material. (When Alaska reports and tabulates ranked-choice results.)
- Campaigns, parties, or reporters publish documents, messages, filings, or named-source accounts showing who contacted Dan J. Sullivan and when. (As follow-up reporting or legal filings appear.)
- Alaska election officials revise ballot-labeling practices for candidates with similar names. (Before future Alaska elections.)
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