NewsNation

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy says he could stop or alter certification of the state's U.S. Senate result if an investigation he ordered finds illegal conduct tied to Democrat Mary Peltola's campaign. The probe follows a New York Times report, sourced partly to Peltola's fired former campaign manager, alleging Peltola advisers and DSCC aides helped recruit a second "Dan Sullivan" to run against Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. Peltola has denied knowledge of the scheme, and the DSCC denies involvement. The Justice Department has sued to block certification of any winner but Sullivan pending review. Days after the Times report, the second Sullivan, a retired Petersburg teacher, was seen leaving his hometown; residents there said they had seen no campaign activity on his behalf.

Federal prosecutors are separately investigating how Sullivan entered the race, with the inquiry expected to continue past Election Day. The allegations remain a partisan flashpoint, with debate over whether the recruitment scheme amounts to voter deception or whether efforts to block certification constitute their own interference.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has directed the Department of Public Safety to investigate allegations that staff for Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee recruited namesake challenger Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. to siphon votes from Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan. The probe follows New York Times reporting, partly based on a since-retracted account from Peltola's fired former campaign manager, Elisa Rios, describing an internal "ballot composition" effort allegedly involving Peltola's campaign lawyers and senior DSCC aides. The Peltola campaign and DSCC deny involvement, with Peltola calling the controversy "a distraction"; the retired Petersburg teacher also denies running at Democrats' behest, though he has acknowledged a history of backing Peltola and other Democrats.

President Trump called for Peltola's prosecution and removal from the ballot, and the Justice Department has issued fresh subpoenas to Democratic officials believed to be involved in the recruitment effort, building on an existing U.S. Attorney's Office inquiry into Daniel J. Sullivan dating back to summer. The DOJ has also sued to block certification if Sullivan narrowly loses, arguing the scheme amounts to a "conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the electoral process"; Alaska moved to dismiss that suit, calling it meritless, and a federal judge set an expedited schedule with a ruling possible within days. The Alaska Supreme Court previously rejected efforts to remove the challenger Sullivan from the ballot. Sen. Lisa Murkowski joined other Republicans condemning the alleged scheme as voters rank Sen. Sullivan, Peltola, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., and Gerald Heikes on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Dunleavy has declined to commit to certifying the election if Peltola wins while the investigation is ongoing, saying any finding of illegal conduct "may in fact impact whether somebody is seated in the U.S. Senate" and that officials would weigh whether to involve Senate leadership. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer has demanded testimony from operatives named in the reporting and threatened subpoenas of his own. Dunleavy's term ends Dec. 7, shortly after Alaska's target date for certifying results.

The Trump administration has warned California election officials that processing ballots cast by suspected noncitizen voters could expose them to criminal investigation and prosecution. A letter from acting deputy attorney general Trent McCotter called noncitizen voting a federal crime and said officials who knowingly facilitate it risk being treated as aiders and abettors. The DOJ sued California after it missed a 48-hour deadline to cross-check a federal list of roughly 20,000 flagged names; federal prosecutors have since charged 28 green-card holders across California, 11 arrested, saying all appeared on that list. Secretary of State Shirley Weber called the demand unprecedented and said officials provided too little information to verify names. Governor Newsom calls the suit voter suppression; the dispute looms over competitive California House races in the midterms.

Texas border security policy is emerging as a flashpoint in the 2026 gubernatorial race between Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Democratic challenger State Rep. Gina Hinojosa. Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in 2021 in response to border policies under President Biden, and the state has since spent over $11 billion on the effort. Under the 2025 federal budget law, Washington established $13.5 billion in reimbursement funds for border states; Abbott recently announced $7.5 billion in approved reimbursement from the Department of Homeland Security, with another $3 billion pending from the Department of Justice.

Abbott says he wants reimbursement funds split between continued border security and taxpayer relief, and supports extending Operation Lone Star, citing increased border activity, including a Sept. 26 shooting involving the U.S. Coast Guard near Garceno, Texas, that prompted additional federal troop deployments. Hinojosa calls the operation wasteful "political theater," though she has not detailed an alternative border strategy. She credits the Trump administration with reduced border crossings but criticizes ICE enforcement tactics in Texas.

Opposition to Flock automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras continues to spread as more governments restrict or drop the technology over privacy and misuse concerns. The Texas Department of Transportation has suspended approvals for new Flock cameras on state roadways, following an August order from Gov. Greg Abbott halting state agency funding for the devices. Texas joins Florida, which revoked permits for the cameras on state road rights-of-way after Gov. Ron DeSantis warned against creating a "digital AI surveillance state."

Locally, Half Moon Bay, California, will let its camera pilot expire rather than renew it, following El Cerrito's earlier removal in the East Bay; a San Jose officer's alleged misuse of the system to track a domestic violence victim was cited as a factor. Eastpointe, Michigan, ended its contract after separate employee misuse, and a Deer Park, Texas detective was recently suspended for hundreds of unauthorized searches. Coopertown, Tennessee, has now also terminated its Flock contract after public pushback, despite the police chief's defense of the cameras' limited tracking capability. Flock has issued new privacy guidelines to detect suspicious activity, while President Trump has voiced support for the cameras even as GOP officials remain divided and some police say losing access has slowed investigations.

Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA) said he "might" launch a 2028 Democratic primary challenge against Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), telling NewsNation he hasn't made a decision. Deluzio said his current focus is helping Pennsylvania Democrats flip congressional seats to give Gov. Josh Shapiro a governing majority in the state Senate and expand the Democratic majority in the state House.

Deluzio criticized Fetterman's campaign presence, saying the senator is "nowhere to be seen on the campaign trail" and claiming no Pennsylvania Democrat wants Fetterman campaigning alongside them. The remarks signal potential intraparty friction ahead of Fetterman's next reelection bid, with Deluzio positioning himself as a possible primary contender should he choose to run.

Florida's Department of Transportation has ordered all license plate readers, including Flock Safety cameras, removed from state roads, marking the first time a state has pulled an entire category of surveillance equipment. The move follows Gov. Ron DeSantis's stance against the technology amid growing privacy and surveillance concerns nationwide, including reports of officers misusing the cameras to stalk people and ICE using them to track immigrants.

Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner is leading opposition to the ban, joined by roughly ten Florida mayors who signed a letter to DeSantis. In response, the Miami Beach City Commission is weighing two competing proposals: Meiner wants to allocate up to $50,000 to install new license plate readers on private property, with owner permission, to offset losses from the state ban, citing interest from neighborhood associations and existing readers at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Commissioner David Suarez instead proposes a 90-day moratorium on new installations paired with stricter oversight, including monthly audits, inspector general review, and shorter data retention, citing privacy risks from tracking people's movements and personal activities. The dispute underscores tension between police departments favoring the technology and officials responding to privacy backlash.