Trump Rages at Alaska Republicans Over Three-Way Race: ‘How Stupid Are We’

President Donald Trump has lashed out at Alaska Republicans for fielding three candidates in the state’s Senate race in November, criticizing the ranked choice voting system for splitting the party’s vote.

“Can you believe that Alaska, a State I love, and won BIG, all three times, has three Republicans running against one Dumocrat for Governor? What is that all about? How stupid are we to do this?” the president wrote on Truth Social.

“On top of it all, we have the Corrupt Ranked Choice System of Voting, which shouldn’t be allowed in our Country and will, hopefully, be repealed in the November Vote.”

In all of Alaska’s races this November—including one for governor, the U.S. House, and the U.S. Senate—the top four candidates from each respective primary are on the general ballot. Voters are then able to rank them in order of preference, though they are not required to.

Under this system, a candidate who receives more than 50 percent of the vote wins outright.

Democrat Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman, is currently leading the latest polls by a margin of between two and seven percentage points over incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan, who has been endorsed by the president.

In an Alaska Survey Research poll conducted between October 1-3 among 1,512 likely voters, Peltola secured 47 percent of the vote, while Sullivan achieved 45 percent. The other Republicans in the field secured much smaller shares; Dan J. Sullivan achieved five percent, and Gerald Heikes won three percent.

A New York Times/Siena University poll conducted between September 24 and October 1 gave Peltola 50 percent of the vote, while Sullivan garnered 43 percent. Six percent of the 504 likely voters polled did not know who they would support on November 3, and only one percent would vote for the other two candidates.

Trump reiterated his support for Sullivan on Thursday, writing on social media: “In any event, we have one Great Candidate running for the United States Senate. His name is Dan S. Sullivan, and he is the Incumbent, and doing a phenomenal job—Bringing more business to Alaska than any other Senator in U.S. History.

“Alaska needs Senator Dan S. Sullivan in the Senate, and Congressman Nick Begich, in Congress—That is a fantastic team.”

This is a developing story. More to follow.