When Alaskans head to the polls this year to vote in the Senate primary, there will be two Dan Sullivans on the ballot. Following what has been a month of back-and-forth, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday that both Sen. Dan Sullivan and a second Dan Sullivan can appear.
The saga has been ongoing since May, when Daniel J. Sullivan, who goes by Dan, entered the race to run against incumbent Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan.
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In a statement to Straight Arrow, the National Republican Senate Campaign accused Democrats of recruiting another Dan Sullivan to resort “to deceitful political maneuvers that attempt to trick Alaskans and buy a seat.”
After multiple legal challenges, the state Supreme Court’s final say is that both Sullivans must appear, but the elections division has the authority to determine how their names are listed.
In a sample ballot posted on its website, the elections division officially listed Sen. Sullivan with the words “(Registered Republican) Incumbent” added below his name, while Dan J. Sullivan is listed as “Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.” with no party affiliation.
The Sullivan saga
When the new Dan Sullivan entered the race, Sen. Sullivan made allegations that he was not a “good faith” candidate, while Republicans accused Democrats of using the new Dan Sullivan as a tactic to win the election.
Confusing Republican voters could benefit the Democratic leader in the race, former Rep. Mary Peltola.
The non-senator Sullivan has long maintained that he has had no contact with Peltola, saying the decision to run was his choice.
However, the Anchorage Daily News reported that the metadata on challenger Sullivan’s May 29 press release announcing his candidacy “indicated it was written by someone by the name of ‘Amber Lee.’” A person by that same name is listed as being affiliated with a political action committee that supported Peltola’s previous runs for Congress, according to one of incumbent Sullivan’s complaints.
The controversy led the Alaska Division of Elections to investigate and determine that the new Dan Sullivan was ineligible to run. That didn’t stop the fight, however.
After election officials removed Dan J. Sullivan from the ballot, he filed a lawsuit to restore his name, alongside Sen. Dan Sullivan.
From that lawsuit, a lower-court judge ruled Sullivan could run, forcing his name back onto the ballot. Officials appealed the ruling, leading to Monday’s Alaska Supreme Court decision.
Following the decision, Sen. Sullivan’s campaign shared a statement on X, saying, “We’re disappointed in the court’s decision because as the sham candidate Dan J. Sullivan’s lawyers made clear in their legal arguments, the only reason he is running is to deceive voters and manipulate Alaska’s election system.”
The challenger Dan Sullivan told the AP on Monday he was just tired of the incumbent and decided to do something about it.
“I just decided it was something I needed to do,” he said of running for office. “I will find out if it was the right thing or not, but I’m going to give it a shot.”
The state of the race
The legal back-and-forth, allegations from Republicans and overall controversy have made headlines for weeks, as Democrats see the Alaska election as an opportunity to regain control of Congress.
The top four candidates in the Aug. 18 primary, regardless of party, will go on to the general election in November. Should Peltola and Sen. Sullivan appear on the ballot, polls have Peltola with a slight edge in the race.
The two have spent millions on their campaigns, with Sen. Sullivan’s finances coming in at just over $9 million and Peltola’s at around $8.6 million, making for a pretty even financial match.
But if Dan J. Sullivan also qualifies for the general election, confusion among voters when choosing a Sullivan to vote for could give Peltola the advantage she needs to win — a worry Republicans have taken issue with.
Because Dan J. Sullivan only recently entered the race, his odds are not reflected in the latest polls.
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