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Alaska Senate race under scrutiny over alleged same-name candidate plot

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 4 outlets. No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered it yet.

6 articles in total, 2 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Voters at privacy booths in a gym, one man facing a voting booth, with a VOTE flag sign.
Image via Al Jazeera EnglishHow images are chosenReport this image

Alaska voters are choosing between Republican Senator Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola in a closely watched race. Democrats have been accused of recruiting a similarly named candidate, Dan J. Sullivan, to confuse voters. ABC News, citing the Associated Press, reports that litigation and dirty-tricks allegations roiled the race in its final days. Daily Mail, citing the New York Times and unnamed sources, reports that about 20 letters were sent on Election Day to Democrats and attorneys telling them they are targets of a widening Justice Department investigation. Fox News reports that at least one voter said the reported plot made him switch his vote to Sullivan.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. Editors read every story. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Democrats are accused of recruiting a similarly named candidate, Dan J. Sullivan, to run against Senator Dan Sullivan.

    Reported byLeft1Right1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    ABC News
    Right
    Daily Mail
    Far Right
    Fox News

  2. About 20 letters were sent on Election Day to Democrats and attorneys, according to sources cited by the New York Times.

    One outletDaily Mail· Right

  3. The letters said the Justice Department is investigating possible donor fraud and conspiracy charges, sources said.

    One outletDaily Mail· Right

  4. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered an investigation into Peltola’s campaign over the alleged plot, according to Daily Mail.

    One outletDaily Mail· Right

  5. Campaign accusations and litigation marked the race’s final days, according to reporting on the race.

    One side only: the leftReported byLeft2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Al Jazeera English, ABC News

  6. A voter who had considered Peltola said the reported plot made him switch to Sullivan.

    One outletFox News· Far Right

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side reports that Democrats are accused of recruiting a similarly named candidate to confuse voters in the Alaska Senate race. Right outlets center a widening federal investigation and a voter who switched, while left outlets center campaign accusations and litigation in the race’s final days.

  • the left

    2 outlets

    Left outlets frame the race around campaign accusations and litigation in its final days, using broad wording such as trade accusations and dirty tricks rather than naming a scheme.

    Alaska Senate candidates trade accusations ahead of election
    Al Jazeera EnglishLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    0 outlets · 1 opinion

    Mantle’s analysis has no note on this side yet. One of its headlines is shown.

    Dirty Democratic political tricks abound
    The HillCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    2 outlets

    Right outlets frame the event as a named ‘Decoy Dan’ scheme and a widening federal investigation, with Fox News centering a voter’s reaction and Daily Mail centering the Justice Department letters.

    Trump administration widens investigation into 'Decoy Dan Sullivan' scheme in Alaska, as dozens of Democrats are sent letters from the DOJ
    Daily MailRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left1

    dirty tricks

  • Center2

    crazythreat to democracy

  • Right3

    Democrat-linked election schemeplotscandal rocking the Alaska Senate race

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    dirty tricksMore neutral: allegations of improper recruiting

    Colloquial label that judges the allegations rather than describing them.

    …to decide Alaska Senate race roiled in final days by litigation, allegations of dirty tricks

    Used byABC News (Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    Democrat-linked election schemeMore neutral: alleged scheme involving Democrats

    Ties the alleged scheme to a party through a link the wording does not spell out.

    As the Senate race in Alaska makes headlines over an alleged Democrat-linked election scheme, Fox News spoke with voters heading to the polls to see whether their…

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    plotMore neutral: scheme

    The word plot presents the recruitment as a deliberate conspiracy, which the coverage describes only as alleged.

    Alaska voter 'disgusted' by reported 'decoy Dan' plot switches from Peltola to Sullivan

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    crazyMore neutral: (omit) and quote the statement

    Diagnoses the speaker instead of quoting them.

    And more than enough to drive President Trump crazy.

    Used byThe Hill (Center)

Show 2 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Sensational language

    scandal rocking the Alaska Senate raceMore neutral: scandal affecting the Alaska Senate race

    The word rocking adds drama beyond the reported facts, which are letters sent and an investigation under way.

    …are targets of a widening criminal investigation into the 'Decoy Dan' scandal rocking the Alaska Senate race, sources say.

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

  • Partisan shorthand

    threat to democracyMore neutral: describe the specific action and its legal status

    Conclusion stated as description; say what was done.

    …are their own and not the view of The Hill Democrats’ concerns about a growing threat to democracy — 85 percent in a recent Pew Research Center survey — would be more believable…

    Used byThe Hill (Center)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

2 outlets

Leads with

  • Campaign accusations between candidates
  • Litigation in the final days
  • Close national Senate race

Leaves out

  • Letters sent to Democrats as the Justice Department investigation widens
  • A voter who said the alleged plot changed his choice

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • Al Jazeera EnglishLeft

    Alaska Senate candidates trade accusations ahead of election

    Republican US Senator Dan Sullivan and Democratic challenger Mary Peltola made their final appeals to voters in Alaska hours before polls open in the US midterm elections.

    Read at Al Jazeera English (opens in a new tab)
  • ABC NewsLeftAssociated Press report

    Voters to decide Alaska Senate race roiled in final days by litigation, allegations of Sensational language“dirty tricks”Colloquial label that judges the allegations rather than describing them.More neutral: allegations of improper recruitingDisagree with this highlight?

    Alaskans are deciding one of the most closely watched U.S. Senate races in the country

    Read at ABC News (opens in a new tab)

From the center

0 outlets · 1 opinion
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

2 outlets

Leads with

  • ‘Decoy Dan’ scheme
  • Justice Department letters to Democrats
  • Voter who switched candidates

Leaves out

  • Litigation over the race in its final days

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • Daily MailRight

    Trump administration widens investigation into 'Decoy Dan Sullivan' scheme in Alaska, as dozens of Democrats are sent letters from the DOJ

    Democrats in Alaska have been accused of recruiting a similarly named candidate to run against GOP Senator Dan Sullivan, allegedly intending to confuse voters and help Mary Peltola.

    Read at Daily Mail (opens in a new tab)
  • Fox NewsFar Right

    Alaska voter 'disgusted' by reported 'decoy Dan' Sensational language“plot”The word plot presents the recruitment as a deliberate conspiracy, which the coverage describes only as alleged.More neutral: schemeDisagree with this highlight? switches from Peltola to Sullivan

    An Alaska voter who considered voting for former Rep. Mary Peltola, said he "switched" and would vote for incumbent GOP Sen. Dan S. Sullivan.

    Read at Fox News (opens in a new tab)

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    ABC News, Nov 3, 1:50 AM EST

  • Center

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Right

    7 hr 25 min later

    Its first report, Nov 3, 9:15 AM EST

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. ABC NewsLeftNov 3, 1:50 AM EST
  2. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftNov 3, 6:01 AM EST
  3. Fox NewsFar RightNov 3, 9:15 AM EST
  4. Daily MailRightNov 3, 10:31 AM EST

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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