Dan Sullivan, a retired teacher whose candidacy in Alaska’s open primary sparked accusations of deception, has advanced to the general election in a move that is likely to spark further frustrations for the Republican incumbent — whose name is also Dan Sullivan.
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Sen. Dan S. Sullivan and former congresswoman Mary Peltola (D) were the top two vote-getters in the Aug. 18 open primary, where 16 candidates appeared on the ballot regardless of party and the top four advance to the general election. The Associated Press called the race for them last week but had not called the remaining two slots.
Overnight, it added Dan J. Sullivan, the retired teacher, to the group that will advance to the general election. He received 2.5 percent of the vote with 88 percent of votes counted, to Peltola’s 48.2 percent and Dan S. Sullivan’s 42.6 percent. The fourth and final slot has not been determined.
The development marks the latest twist in a saga that has seen Dan J. Sullivan accused of acting in bad faith by trying to confuse voters and split support for the Republican incumbent. Dan J. Sullivan has denied the claims, citing a genuine desire to effect change as the driving force behind his candidacy.
The issue has ignited Alaska’s competitive Senate race, which is emerging as a pivotal contest in the fight for Senate control.
The battle has been bubbling since June, when Dan J. Sullivan filed to run as a Republican three days before the deadline. He was accused by Republicans of entering the race to confuse voters and help Peltola flip the seat. Links to staffers who have previously supported Democratic candidates added to Republicans’ suspicions.
Dan J. Sullivan and Peltola denied coordination, but the issue became the subject of a Federal Election Commission complaint and investigation. In June, Alaska’s election officials ruled his candidacy was not filed in good faith, but his place on the ballot was restored after the state’s Supreme Court ruled on the issue.
On the primary ballot, the candidates were differentiated as “Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.” with no party affiliation given and “Sullivan, Dan S.” listed as the Republican incumbent.
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Dan S. Sullivan, Dan J. Sullivan and Peltola did not immediately reply to a request for comment early Wednesday.
Ahead of the vote, President Donald Trump endorsed the incumbent, accusing Democrats of “trickery.”
“Democrats are trying to ‘trick’ Alaskans, and treat Alaskan Voters with contempt,” he wrote on Truth Social Aug. 17, urging people, “don’t be fooled.”
A third Dan Sullivan — Republican former mayor of Anchorage Dan A. Sullivan — also endorsed the sitting senator, saying that, “as the OG Dan Sullivan,” he urged Alaskans to vote for Sen. Dan S. Sullivan.
Wednesday’s result could add to Republican concerns about the competitive Senate race in November, in which having two candidates of the same name could split support for the incumbent and benefit Peltola.
Dan S. Sullivan is running for a third term in the state that Trump won by more than 13 points in 2024. Democrats are optimistic that Peltola, who represented the state in the House from 2022 to 2025, can flip the seat on a moderate message of protecting Alaska’s fishing and energy sectors.
Dan J. Sullivan has blamed “political operatives” for trying to cut him out of the race and insisted his campaign is genuine, citing his background as a U.S. Forest Service worker, his family life and experience surviving cancer as inspiration for his decision to run.
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