Dem Sen. Smith: Alaska Ballot Stacking Story 'a Distraction', Feds Doing 'Abuse of Power'

On Friday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Source,” Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) said that the Alaska ballot stacking story “is really a distraction. It is clearly an abuse of power, if you ask me, to have this federal surge into Alaska to try to distract Alaska voters” and people can figure out the ballot. Guest host Brianna Keilar asked, “Senator, before we get to what DOJ is doing in Alaska, are you okay with what Democrats orchestrated there, according to The New York Times?” Smith answered, “Well, listen, campaigns are messy. And what I am really, for sure, clear about — as your guests just said — is that Alaska voters are smart, and they know what to do. They know, they can see Dan Sullivan, incumbent Republican, and know who they’re going to vote for. And, as we just were hearing, this is a ranked-choice voting process. And so, it’s all going to wash out in the — it’s all going to wash out as the election moves forward. These kind of tactics are used by Republicans and Democrats. They actually were used against Mary Peltola when she was running for Congress earlier.” Smith continued, “So, I think this is really a distraction. It is clearly an abuse of power, if you ask me, to have this federal surge into Alaska to try to distract Alaska voters from the fact that gas is, like, nearly $5 a gallon in Alaska. And people want change, they don’t like what Donald Trump is doing, and that’s why Dan Sullivan is going to lose in Alaska.” Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett