Alaska Senate ballot lists two Dan Sullivans
A retired teacher and the incumbent senator share a name on the general election ballot, prompting a federal lawsuit and state-level investigations.
By Rafael Bailey ·
Alaska voters will choose from two candidates named Dan Sullivan in Tuesday's Senate race.
The state shifted to a nonpartisan ranked-choice voting system in 2022 to reduce party polarization. This new format allowed multiple candidates to advance from the August primary. In that contest, Democrat Mary Peltola led with 49.5 percent of the vote. Incumbent Senator Dan S. Sullivan followed with 41.4 percent. Retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan finished third with 2.5 percent. Republicans Gerald Heikes also advanced to the general election.
The ballot lists Daniel J. Sullivan as "Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr." with no party affiliation. Senator Sullivan appears as "Sullivan, Dan S. (Registered Republican) Incumbent." The close similarity in names has raised concerns about voter confusion. In June, Alaska Elections Director Carol Beecher initially ruled Daniel J. Sullivan ineligible. She stated his entry was a deliberate attempt to mislead voters. She noted he tried to file as just "Dan Sullivan" and listed "S" as his middle initial, matching the incumbent. A state Supreme Court reversed Beecher's decision, allowing both names to appear.
New reporting from The New York Times alleges that Democratic operatives helped recruit Daniel J. Sullivan. The report cites text messages and interviews suggesting a coordinated effort to add a candidate with the same name as the incumbent. Governor Mike Dunleavy announced he is directing the Department of Public Safety to investigate potential violations of state law. "Today's New York Times reporting reveals disturbing new evidence of an organized effort to manipulate Alaska's elections," Dunleavy wrote on X. He said the state's earlier investigation supported the new findings. Peltola's campaign denies involvement. A spokesperson for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee stated the national group is not involved with Daniel J. Sullivan. Peltola called the reporting a distraction at a campaign stop, saying, "This is all stuff to sell newspapers."
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit last week to preemptively challenge the certification of the race if Senator Sullivan loses. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the suit does not block certification but seeks to ensure the result reflects voter intent. Blanche argued that if a court finds the race was decided by confusion rather than voter will, the state should not certify the election. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he believes Peltola engaged in election fraud and should not be allowed to run. Senator Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, opposed the lawsuit. She stated that Alaskans do not need help voting and that the state has clearly distinguished the candidates on the ballot. However, after seeing the New York Times report, Murkowski criticized the Peltola campaign for a pattern of lies. She said Alaskans deserve the honest truth from the challenger.
Election law expert David Becker said the federal lawsuit is unlikely to change the outcome before Election Day. He noted that states hold primary authority over election rules under the Constitution. "The DOJ's lawsuit doesn't have any legal basis, it's not going to stop certification," Becker said. He added that such ballot shenanigans happen on both sides of the aisle and are not unusual. The race proceeds with four candidates on the ballot. Voters can rank their choices. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed until a majority is reached.
