Republicans say a little-known candidate with the same name as the incumbent senator is trying to confuse voters and help Democrat Mary Peltola.
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There are two Dan Sullivans running for Senate in Alaska.
One is Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, a two-term Republican incumbent. The other is Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg who filed to run as a Republican candidate three days before the deadline.
Republicans are not buying it. They have accused the lesser-known Sullivan of entering the race to confuse voters and help Democrat Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman trying to flip the seat. The newcomer Sullivan and Peltola have denied any coordination, but the fight is now the focus of a new complaint filed Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission and an investigation by Alaska election officials.
“That’s more Democrat corruption,” said Dan S., the incumbent senator. “Purposefully trick Alaskans to rig a vote in favor of a Democrat? You’re at it again? It’s not funny. It’ll blow up in your face.”
Meanwhile, Dan J. says he has the same right as anybody to run for office.
The case has turned a middle initial into a political flash point, with high stakes riding on the outcome.
Democrats are targeting the Senate seat in Alaska as a potential stepping stone in their quest to retake control of the U.S. Senate. Peltola has experience winning statewide in Alaska, serving as its sole member of the House from 2022 to 2025.
Senate Republicans allege in a complaint Wednesday that Dan J. (the last-minute candidate) improperly accepted help from a consultant with a history of supporting Peltola. Metadata in Dan J.’s campaign announcement suggests it was written by communications consultant Amber Lee, who’s publicly backed Peltola in past elections, the complaint says. Lee’s other clients include many liberal organizations and causes.
The complaint, filed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee with the Federal Election Commission, alleges that if Lee provided unpaid professional services, the work could constitute an excessive in-kind contribution.
“Mary Peltola and her minions continue to show they don’t think the rules apply to them,” NRSC press secretary Nick Puglia said in a statement. “The FEC must immediately investigate and sanction Fraud Dan Sullivan and Amber Lee for breaking federal law.”
But Dan J. has defended himself in documents and public statements in recent days, saying his desire to run and hold office is genuine.
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“I am running because I am tired of sitting back and watching our current Senator routinely fail to represent the interests of ordinary Alaskans like me,” he wrote in a letter to state election officials. “The fact that Senator Sullivan shares my first and last names adds insult to injury, motivating me to raise my hand as an alternative choice for Alaskans.”
In response to questions, Peltola campaign spokesperson Harry Child said Thursday, “Our campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign.”
The NRSC also submitted a complaint last week asking the FEC to investigate whether Democrats were intentionally trying to deceive voters by running the lesser-known Sullivan in the Senate race. The group noted his new campaign logo bears striking similarity to the senator’s existing logo.
“Respondents have engaged in a knowing and willful scheme to fraudulently misrepresent a federal candidacy with the intent to deceive Alaska voters of ordinary prudence to damage Senator Dan Sullivan’s reelection prospects,” the group wrote in its complaint.
The Alaska state government launched its own investigation into the matter, Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom (R) announced Monday. Dahlstrom wrote to Dan J., notifying him that the state could exclude him from the ballot if it determines he launched his campaign in bad faith. If he is included on the ballot, Dahlstrom proposed listing him with his middle name and a parenthetical noting he is a nonincumbent.
Dan J. previously wrote to the state’s Division of Elections that he fulfills every constitutional qualification to run for Senate and that the coincidence over his name is no reason to exclude him. He explains his thin history with the Republican Party by saying he was previously affiliated with the Alaskan Independence Party.
The race has become a test of how much confusion a ballot can tolerate. Alaska’s election system gives that confusion unusually high stakes. The state has an open primary system where all candidates regardless of party affiliation are listed on the Aug. 18 ballot. The top four candidates are then placed on a ranked-choice ballot in the November general election. Having two candidates of the same name and party could split support for Sen. Sullivan and benefit Peltola.
Peltola has attracted bipartisan support in the state. She won the endorsement of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) during her 2022 and 2024 House runs, though Murkowski endorsed incumbent Dan S. in this year’s Senate race. Peltola also has a competitive fundraising operation, having more than $5 million in the bank as of the end of March, according to FEC reports. The two-term incumbent Sullivan reported just over $7 million.
Meanwhile, as of Thursday, the newcomer Sullivan didn’t appear to have submitted any fundraising paperwork with the FEC.
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Noah Robertson contributed to this report.
