Dan Sullivan was removed from the ballot in Alaska’s Senate race last week after state election officials called it a deliberate attempt to “confuse or mislead” voters who might think he is a different Dan Sullivan, the two-term Republican incumbent. Now, the new Dan Sullivan is suing to keep his name on the ballot alongside the other Dan Sullivan’s.
Straight Arrow’s Azi Paybarah, who has been covering the Sullivan controversy, sat down with Straight Arrow’s Craig Nigrelli this week to talk about the race. Watch that interview at the top of the page.
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Suing for a spot on the ballot
In a court filing this week, Sullivan — the non-senator one — and his attorneys said the state Division of Elections’ decision to remove him from the ballot violated state and federal laws.
“Nothing in Alaska law regulates in any way the private motivations that draw individuals to declare or campaign for office,” the lawyers wrote.
His attorneys said the U.S. Constitution lays out just three qualifications for the Senate: age, citizenship and residency — not name or party affiliation.
Controversy surrounding Sullivan’s campaign
Since the second Dan Sullivan entered the Senate race last month, Republicans have accused Democrats of using him to undermine the original Dan Sullivan.
“This blatant attempt to confuse and disenfranchise Alaskans undermines confidence in our elections, and if allowed to stand, will deny voters the honest choice they deserve,” a spokesperson for Sen. Dan Sullivan’s campaign said.
The Alaska Senate race itself could determine which party controls Congress, so confusing Republican voters could benefit the Democratic leader in the race, former Rep. Mary Peltola.
The second Sullivan has long maintained that he has no contact with Peltola, saying the decision to run was “my 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 the incumbent Sullivan’s complaints.
Previous investigations
Due to the high stakes and controversy, Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher and Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom conducted investigations into the legitimacy of the new Sullivan.
As Straight Arrow previously reported, Sullivan was questioned and provided sworn answers, but election officials found “that the preponderance of evidence does not support your eligibility for the office of United States Senator.”
He was removed from the ballot.
Now, a judge will decide whether to put the new Sullivan back on the ballot.
But the case is on a fast track. The state prints its ballots on June 28, ahead of the Aug. 18 primary election.
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