The New York Times podcast “The Daily with Michael Barbaro”, who I had previously trusted, on Thursday ran what Barbaro may have thought was a sincere and in-depth piece alleging that Mary Peltola, the Alaska Democrat running for U.S. Senate, was involved in getting a decoy candidate on our ballot. Unfortunately, Barbaro and his guest, political reporter Kellen Browning, convinced themselves into feeling informed enough to trash Peltola and the candidate in question, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., all while allowing half of the story to elude them — the half that most Alaskans know, and Browning should too.
Lower 48 news outlets have a history of failing to understand Alaska, and only randomly and quickly coming north to dig for gold, though often just taking home dirt. In this case, the first hint of sloppy non-truth came when Browning stated that small Alaska communities are facing gas prices as high as $8 a gallon. Wait a minute, Kellen! Make some damn calls. Gas is $26.80 a gallon in many villages along the upper Kobuk River in the Arctic where I was born and raised. We wish it were $8! We wish we could remember when it was $8 a gallon.
Barbaro and Browning did get one thing correct: Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired schoolteacher from Petersburg, does have a name that is almost identical to incumbent U.S. Sen. Dan S. Sullivan’s. That is curious. It’s also old news. We Alaskans have known that for months. We figure Daniel is sick of the real Sen. Dan Sullivan — a lot of us are — or playing a prank, or actually trying to siphon off votes. Sure, someone probably helped him with the paperwork to run. Maybe someone nudged him along. We’re not stupid. We’re not going to be fooled by two Sullivans on the ballot.
What most Alaskans also know — but apparently the big news outlets don’t — is that Eric Hafner, a convict serving a 20-year sentence in federal prison in New York, a man who has never been to Alaska, is on our ballot too.
Michael! Kellen! How’d you miss that? He’s your frigging neighbor.
Alaska commercial fisherman and former school teacher, Bill Hill, an independent running against incumbent Nick Begich for U.S. House, is having to spend his hard-earned funds on ads stating, “Eric Hafner: In Prison in New York.” With an unknown name, Hafner, who is running as a Democrat, is more of a threat than Daniel to siphon off 3% or 4% of the vote and derail Hill’s chances of winning.
And there’s more. Remember Mary Peltola, the woman in the story you thought you were so professionally investigating? In our primary this summer, she kicked butt against a slew of opponents, including the real Sen. Dan Sullivan, and Carol “Kitty” Hafner. Yes, now you got it. New York convict Eric Hafner and his mom, Kitty, both are former and present decoy candidates on our 2026 ballots in Alaska.
Plenty of Alaskans know this. NYT reporters, you’re the experts, right? Investigate the Hafners, why don’t you? If you’re going to write about our crazy state, and vilify some of our own, at least do your homework. At least include your own dirt.
I hope you realize Mary had to beat Sarah Palin and Santa Claus in 2022 to get elected as the first Alaska Native to the U.S. Congress. Look it up. All three were on the ballot.
I don’t know if Peltola was peripherally involved in this double-Sullivan thing. I’d be very upset — if the Republicans weren’t presently and for years in the past blatantly and busily funding and floating fake candidates. Is it only a newsworthy story or capital offense if a woman, or an Alaska Native woman, does the same?
Speaking of vilifying one of our own: Kellen, you mentioned with some surprise how Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. agreed to talk with you, even kindly picked you and your photographer up at the Petersburg airport, and gave you a tour, showing you the Alaska he loves. And what did you do? You acted like that was strange, like maybe he was a little off for being so generous. Then you burned him.
We Alaskans are crazy, and off and odd, but we’re also generous. Maybe you could put that in your story. Or not. But at least put the story in the story.
Seth Kantner is a commercial fisherman and the author of the best-selling novel “Ordinary Wolves” and most recently the nonfiction book “A Thousand Trails Home: Living With Caribou.” He lives in Northwest Alaska and can be reached at sethkantner.com.
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