Republicans and Democrats are deploying increasingly aggressive tactics to shape the 2026 midterms â including efforts to influence rival primaries, obscure political spending and exploit election deadlines.
Both parties are accusing one another of using cynical tactics to influence voters and shape the field ahead of Election Day, even as operatives aligned with each of them employ similar strategies. Those maneuvers have included routing millions of dollars through deceptively named political committees to influence rival primaries and using filing deadlines in ways that gave favored successors a clearer path to the ballot
Many of these schemes are being carried out in key races, meaning that control of Congress may come down to what many view as cheap tricks â a prospect that could serve to further erode public trust in government.
Two separate individuals named Dan Sullivan are running for Senate in Alaska, and a third just endorsed one over the other.
ALASKA SENATE RACES ABSURD NAME PROBLEM GETS EVEN HARDER TO UNTANGLE
Republicans have argued that the confusing state of affairs in Alaska is the product of a Democratic ploy to disorient voters.
Incumbent GOP Sen. Dan S. Sullivan is facing a challenge from teacher Dan J. Sullivan, whom Republicans have accused of running as a Republican solely to confuse voters to the benefit of Democrats. Alaskas electoral system allows the top-four vote-getters in the states nonpartisan primary to advance to the ranked-choice general election.
Fox News Power Rankings rates the Alaska Senate race as a toss-up, meaning neither party currently has a clear advantage. If enough voters confuse Dan S. Sullivan with Dan J. Sullivan, it could be enough to give Democratic nominee Mary Peltola an edge.
Republicans point to the fact that Dan J. Sullivan worked with a Democratic-aligned consultant as evidence that he is part of a plot to siphon voters off of Dan S. Sullivan. Dan J. Sullivan, meanwhile, maintains that he is an actual Republican with legitimate grievances as to the incumbent senators representation of his state.
A third Dan Sullivan, the former mayor of Anchorage, recently waded into the Senate race to endorse Dan S. Sullivan.
Dan J. Sullivan is reportedly being investigated by the Justice Department and Alaska election officials in separate probes examining whether he sought to deliberately mislead voters. The investigation follows a failed Republican legal effort to remove him from the ballot.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee reportedly worked behind the scenes to encourage Rep. Jasmine Crockett to enter Texas Democratic Senate primary. Once she entered, other Republican actors also ran messaging that Democrats argued could help her with primary voters.
One source familiar with the process dubbed it an “AstroTurf recruitment process” when speaking with NOTUS in 2025.
The NRSC began its alleged campaign by releasing a poll showing Crockett, who was believed by some to be a weaker candidate in a general election than Texas State Rep. James Talarico, leading the field in a hypothetical Democratic primary. Prior to the NRSC’s poll, Crockett had not been included in most primary surveys.
That quickly changed and subsequent polls showed Crockett pulling in considerable support. The congresswoman ultim
