Two candidates named Dan Sullivan are running in Alaska’s Senate race, prompting accusations of electoral manipulation

US President Donald Trump has accused Democrats of fraud over an alleged plot to field a namesake candidate in Alaska’s Senate race.

An electoral trick familiar to Russians who remember the political free-for-all of the 1990s, the tactic involves recruiting a candidate whose name matches that of an established politician in the hope of confusing voters and siphoning off votes.

In Russia, such contenders became known as “clone candidates” and were a hallmark of the country’s notoriously ruthless election campaigns, forming part of the political “black PR” playbook.

In Alaska, Republican incumbent Senator Dan S. Sullivan now faces a namesake challenger, Daniel J.…