Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan says a last-minute Republican challenger, Dan J. Sullivan, is intended to confuse voters and help Democrats flip his seat for former Rep. Mary Peltola. Sullivan and the National Republican Senatorial Committee are pressing Alaska elect
Three days before Alaska’s filing deadline, Sen. Dan Sullivan says he learned an eleventh-hour Republican challenger was entering his high-stakes reelection race. His opponent shares the same name: Dan J. Sullivan.
The senator’s concern isn’t theoretical. Sullivan and the National Republican Senatorial Committee warn the ballot could be a trap—confusing voters and giving a lift to former Rep. Mary Peltola, whose campaign has been backed by Democrats who see a rare opening to flip Alaska’s seat.
Sullivan, a two-term Republican incumbent, told MISRYOUM that the accusation goes beyond coincidence. He said the challenger’s “whole purpose” is to confuse Alaskans so that “Alaskan voters” could end up “rigg[ing] the vote in favor of Mary Peltola.”
When he described what voters might think when they see two names on the ballot, Sullivan didn’t soften his message. “When people are going, ‘Oh, there’s two Dan Sullivans, isn’t that funny?’” he said. “No, it’s cheating.”
To stop it, Sullivan and the NRSC are pressing Alaska’s lieutenant governor and elections chief to remove Dan J. Sullivan’s name from the ballot. Sullivan told MISRYOUM he could take the matter to court if the challenge isn’t resolved administratively.
The timing is the first flashpoint. Dan J. Sullivan’s declaration of candidacy was stamped by the Alaska Divisions of Elections on May 29—three days before the filing deadline. Sullivan’s middle initial is “S.” The challenger’s presence. election officials and the public will see. is effectively distinguished by that one detail.
Supporters of Dan J. Sullivan say the campaign is legitimate. In a press release announcing his run, Dan J. Sullivan described careers in the US Forest Service and as an elementary school teacher. He has said publicly. including in comments to the Petersburg Pilot on Thursday. that he had no contact with Peltola before running. He said, “I wouldn’t even know who to speak to.”.
Sullivan, for his part, says voters can sort it out. In an interview with the Petersburg Pilot, Dan J. Sullivan compared the situation to voters doing their own homework: “Your responsibility as a citizen is to understand. so when you go into the voting booth. you know what you’re doing.” He added. “People can read a voter information pamphlet and maybe listen to the news here and there and figure out which one is which.”.
The standoff is about what that confusion means, and who benefits from it. Sullivan and his allies point to the structure of Alaska’s system, where elections start with an open primary. In that setup, candidates of all parties compete, and all voters are allowed to participate. The top four vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of party.
With two Dan Sullivans competing in the August primary, Republicans are especially anxious that both could reach the general election and split the vote—handing Peltola an opening.
Sullivan called the possibility “dirty politics” and pointed to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. He said that if the DSCC, Schumer, or Gillibrand knew about Dan J. Sullivan’s run—or were okay with it—“my view is this would be a scandal of the highest order.”.
Democrats reject that framing completely. A Peltola campaign spokesperson said. “Our campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign. ” adding that it doesn’t matter who else is on the ballot because “Mary is going to win by building a broad coalition of Alaskans ready to take on the rigged system and put Alaska first.” (Peltola’s campaign declined to make her available for an interview.).
The DSCC also denied any role. A spokesperson for the party committee said the group has “no involvement with Dan J. Sullivan or his campaign.” When asked about Gillibrand or anyone associated with her. the spokesperson said “no. ” and a Schumer spokesperson also said “no” when asked if the Senate minority leader or any of his associates were involved in Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign in any way. Alaska Democratic Party executive director Jenny-Marie Stryker also said her group “is in no way affiliated with either Dan Sullivan.”.
Lauren French, spokesperson for Senate Majority PAC, said the group has “never” communicated with Dan J. Sullivan, “directly or indirectly,” and had no involvement in his campaign. French also said the group would “offer some free advice” to Sullivan. suggesting he should stop “whining” and focus on explaining why he voted to cut Medicaid.
Underneath the denials, Republicans are leaning on details they say suggest coordination. The NRSC, in a letter obtained by MISRYOUM, asked Alaska’s lieutenant governor and elections chief to remove Dan J. Sullivan from the ballot, arguing it threatens election integrity. In Sullivan’s interview with MISRYOUM. he said that if the lieutenant governor doesn’t remove his challenger’s name from the ballot. “then this will probably lead to litigation.”.
The Alaska Division of Elections declined to comment, and the lieutenant governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Republicans also spotlighted metadata tied to Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign announcement. which they say ties the document to Amber Lee. a consultant who has publicly supported Peltola in the past. In his interview with the Petersburg Pilot, Dan J. Sullivan appeared to confirm he enlisted Lee, saying he found her while looking up consultants online. “I Googled looking for political consultants,” he said. “In her bio it said that she writes middle school literature. I thought: well, she’d be interesting to talk to.” Lee did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
The GOP has flagged Dan J. Sullivan’s past campaign contributions as well. According to FEC filings. either a Daniel or Dan Sullivan in Petersburg has donated $650 to ActBlue. the Democratic Party’s main fundraising platform. in recent years. The contributions included earmarked for Peltola’s House campaigns in 2022 and 2024. The filings show no evidence of contributions to Republican campaigns from a Daniel or Dan Sullivan in Petersberg.
Dan J. Sullivan told his local paper that he backs candidates in both parties. He even compared himself to Alaska’s other GOP senator, Lisa Murkowski, describing her as a swing vote who is often at odds with Trump and out of favor with the base.
But Sen. Dan Sullivan isn’t buying the explanation. He described the challenger as a “sham candidate,” calling it “just corruption” and saying, “They’re trying to cheat. I mean, there’s no plausible explanation.”
The political stakes are high for both sides. The last time a Democrat won a Senate race in Alaska was in 2008, when Mark Begich won by a razor-thin margin against the late-Sen. Ted Stevens—a pillar in the state who had been convicted on corruption charges that were overturned after the election.
Democrats see this year as their best path since Begich’s triumph. They point to a souring environment over President Donald Trump’s job performance and rising costs for voters, particularly healthcare. Democrats have already spent about $6.4 million on ad airtime in the race. compared to Republicans’ $3.4 million. according to AdImpact. with millions more expected.
Under Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system in the wider political math. Democrats also see their chances in this cycle as part of a larger map: the seat could become one of four they flip to retake the Senate. Peltola is well-funded and she won the state’s lone House seat in 2022 before losing in 2024.
For now, Dan J. Sullivan insists he won’t step aside. “I have every right to stand up and do this,” said Sullivan, the GOP challenger. “It’s my name, my grandfather’s name: Dan Sullivan. My dad’s name: Dan Sullivan.”
And Sen. Dan Sullivan has made clear he plans to pursue the fight all the way through the ballot—whether by administrative pressure, or, if necessary, court.
Alaska Senate race Dan Sullivan Dan J. Sullivan Mary Peltola NRSC ballot challenge ranked-choice voting open primary Chuck Schumer Kirsten Gillibrand Amber Lee