Alaska’s Republican governor has ordered an investigation into allegations that Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign recruited a man with the same name as her rival to confuse voters.

In a statement posted on social media on Thursday, Governor Mike Dunleavy said he was directing the state’s Department of Public Safety to “investigate whether this scheme violated Alaska’s laws and whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted”.

Dunleavy said the state’s election board had investigated the issue in June, and that new reporting from a New York Times investigation into the claims “substantially supports” its findings.

“Deliberately tricking voters into casting their ballots for someone else strikes at the integrity of our elections,” Dunleavy said.

The New York Times reported that people linked to Peltola’s campaign tried to recruit candidates who could draw support from Republican Senator Dan Sullivan.

The governor’s announcement follows calls by United States President Donald Trump for the removal from Alaska’s Senate race and prosecution of Peltola and the other Daniel J Sullivan Jr, a retired teacher, over the allegations.

The November 3 vote could help determine control of the US Senate, Congress’s upper chamber.

In Truth Social posts on Wednesday, Trump accused Peltola and Daniel J Sullivan Jr of election fraud and called for both to be removed from the ballot and prosecuted.

He described the alleged operation as “Voter Fraud at the Highest Level” and accused Democrats of lying under oath.

The Times noted that recruiting candidates to split an opponent’s vote – a practice known as ballot stacking – is generally legal and has been used by both parties in Alaska.

The two Sullivans are among four candidates in the US state’s ranked-choice election.

Voters rank candidates by preference, with votes transferred if a first choice is eliminated. The ballot identifies the sitting senator as an incumbent Republican.

His namesake says he entered the race independently.

The Times reported that the effort began in 2025, when a Peltola aide was asked to identify Alaskans named Dan Sullivan.

Citing interviews and messages, it said Peltola advisers and officials from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which supports Democratic Senate candidates, discussed ways to reshape the ballot.

The newspaper identified Democratic operative Jerid Kurtz as a recruiter who approached potential candidates, sometimes under an assumed name.

It also reported that another Democrat withdrew after an approach from Kurtz, opening a place for Republican Gerald Heikes, who said he too had been encouraged to run.

Peltola’s former campaign manager, Elisa Rios, told the Times that Peltola knew about the operation but did not participate directly.

Rios later sought to withdraw her statements and the newspaper said other evidence supported its reporting.

Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic campaign committee denied recruiting candidates. Her campaign said political threats from Washington would not stop her candidacy.

Senator Sullivan accused Peltola of deceiving voters on Fox News on Wednesday.

The state’s Supreme Court upheld the retired teacher’s right to stand in June.

Trump’s Justice Department, the federal government’s legal arm, sued Alaska last week, seeking to delay certification if Senator Sullivan loses and votes for his namesake have affected the outcome.

Alaska has asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that it lacks legal grounds.