Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan said Sunday that he doubted claims by his Democratic opponent that she had no idea her top political aides were involved in recruiting a retired schoolteacher also named Dan Sullivan onto the ballot to confuse voters in a race that could determine which party controls the Senate.

Republicans have long suspected that Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman, and her campaign were behind the presence of the second Sullivan on the ballot.

They say their suspicions were confirmed by a New York Times report last week that was based on interviews with Peltola's ex-campaign manager, text messages and campaign finance documents showing that an operative trying to recruit decoy candidates was paid by a group backing Peltola.