Republicans alleged he entered the competitive race to syphon votes away from the incumbent, Sen. Dan Sullivan.
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Only one Dan Sullivan will appear on the ballot for Alaska’s Senate race this year, the state ruled Monday.
The state’s Division of Elections booted Dan J. Sullivan, a political newcomer whom Republicans accused of being a Democratic plant to confuse voters with the incumbent, Dan S. Sullivan. Republicans alleged he entered the race to siphon votes away from the incumbent, who is running for reelection in a competitive contest.
Alaska has an open primary system in which all candidates of any party appear on the ballot together. The top four vote-getters go on to the general election, where voters use a ranked-choice system. Having two candidates share a name could split support for the incumbent senator.
Dan S. Sullivan is facing a challenge from former representative Mary Peltola (D), who represented the state from 2022 to 2025. Democrats view Alaska as a potential target to take a Republican seat.
Dan J. Sullivan faced multiple complaints at the state and federal level alleging he was operating in bad faith, with some noting that a communications consultant working for him had previously openly supported Peltola.
Peltola’s campaign has repeatedly denied being involved with the Dan J. Sullivan campaign.
Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom (R) opened an investigation into the Republican challenger’s candidacy last week.
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Dahlstrom agreed with the Republican arguments objecting to Dan J. Sullivan’s candidacy and wrote to him on Monday that he would be excluded from the ballot. She pointed out that he had requested to be listed on the ballot as simply “Dan Sullivan,” even though he was previously registered to vote under the less ambiguous “Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.” At one point, Dan J. Sullivan even asked to be listed using the senator’s name and middle initial, she wrote.
Dahlstrom also noted that Dan J. Sullivan’s website and campaign logo appeared to mimic those of the incumbent senator and that the candidate had never been affiliated with the Republican Party in Alaska before his current campaign. Both were arguments raised by Republicans hoping to exclude Dan J. Sullivan from the ballot.
“Every Alaskan has the right to a free and fair election, free from deception and gamesmanship,” Billy Mackey, Sen. Dan S. Sullivan’s campaign manager, said in a statement. “We thank Lieutenant Governor Dahlstrom for upholding that right and for ensuring Alaskans can choose their next senator without a sham candidate whose primary purpose was to confuse Alaskan voters, treat Alaskans with contempt, and rig the election for Peltola.”
Dan J. Sullivan did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but he has defended his candidacy in the past, saying he fulfilled all the legal requirements to run for office. He previously explained his new affiliation with the Republican Party by noting he was formerly affiliated with the Alaskan Independence Party.
“I am a qualified candidate who followed the rules and filed to run for office under my legal name,” he said in a statement ahead of the Division of Elections’ decision. “Yet, unsupported accusations have been given credibility while political operatives continue their effort to keep me off the ballot. Alaskans have every reason to ask whether this process is being driven by politics rather than by a fair application of the law.”
Dan J. Sullivan’s candidacy has already been listed as “denied” on the state’s Division of Elections website. He has 30 days to appeal the decision, but Dahlstrom noted that ballots will be printed on June 28.
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