The New York Times reported Wednesday that operatives tied to Mary Peltola’s campaign and the DSCC actively recruited the second Dan Sullivan onto Alaska’s Senate ballot — a Democratic consultant reportedly flew to a remote village to convince a retired teacher to run. Peltola’s campaign has denied involvement; a former campaign manager told the Times Peltola wasn’t personally involved but was “definitely aware.” Chuck Todd calls it a genuine October surprise, though not a unique tactic — both parties have boosted spoiler candidates for decades — and notes Democrats get held to a higher standard precisely because voters assume Trump will cheat. With ranked-choice voting, he’s skeptical it moves the race much. He’s far less forgiving on Ohio, where the Daily Mail tracked down Amy Acton’s stepfather and his daughter, meaning everyone that man traumatized has now been forced to relive it. Then: what Chuck’s watching on election night, starting with Indiana and Kentucky at poll close and ending with Iowa as the bellwether for everything. 

Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and previews the upcoming weekend in college football.

18+ only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Event contract trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Please carefully consider if it is appropriate for you in light of your personal financial circumstances. Kalshi products are not available in all jurisdictions. See kalshi.com/regulatory for more information. Sign up today to get $25 in bonuses when you trade $25: CHUCKTODD

http://kalshi.com/r/CHUCKTODD

Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan’s contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don’t directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. 

Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! 

Timeline:

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

03:30 The NYT report on the second Dan Sullivan

05:30 Both parties do this — and why Democrats get judged differently

11:00 Does it actually change the Alaska race?

15:45 The Acton ad’s collateral damage, and the price Ramaswamy will pay

22:00 Political mercenaries, Roger Marshall, and selective outrage

25:00 Election night livestream details

28:15 Why Iowa is the bellwether for the entire midterm

35:00 The Iowa Senate race as the purest test of the environment

39:00 First tea leaves: IN-05, IN-01 and KY-06

44:45 Virginia’s predictive power and the VA-05 tsunami signal

49:30 Florida timing, Georgia after midnight, and the likely Texas split

55:30 Probability vs. possibility — and the decline of exit polling 

1:08:30 Ask Chuck

1:09:45 Any connection between local sports teams’ success and election results?

1:14:30 If Dems sweep both chambers, worth bringing the Lankford border bill up for a vote?

1:17:30 How can average person distinguish credible polls from bad ones?

1:28:15 How do you justify Miami’s #1 ranking when they haven’t beaten a ranked team?

1:33:00 When Trump's presidency is done, who’s tell-all are you most looking forward to?

1:37:00 College football preview