Two Dan – Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan says a second candidate named Dan J. Sullivan—on Alaska’s open primary ballot—could be aimed at confusing voters, and he’s considering legal action. The NRSC has pushed election officials to remove the challenger, while the Peltola
In Washington, D.C., Sen. Dan Sullivan watched a familiar name land again on a ballot—only this time it came attached to someone else.
The incumbent U.S. senator is one of 16 candidates running in Alaska’s open primary, where the top four finishers advance to the general election regardless of party. But Sullivan says the appearance of another contender, also named Dan Sullivan, is designed to “trick” voters.
Sullivan points to a “dirty political trick” and argues the move could amount to election interference. He said he is considering legal action.
The second candidate, Dan J. Sullivan, is described as a former teacher and Republican with no relation to the senator. His presence on the ballot has fueled allegations from the incumbent that the situation is politically motivated—an accusation now echoed by Republicans focused on ballot fairness.
Both the Peltola campaign and the Alaska Democratic Party denied any involvement, saying they are not affiliated with either candidate named Sullivan.
The dispute is now drawing attention beyond the campaign trail, with Republicans warning that similar names could run up against Alaska rules meant to prevent confusing or misleading ballot designations.
The GOP push is led by the National Republican Senatorial Committee. which has sent a letter to Alaska election officials arguing the challenger’s presence could violate state standards on ballot clarity. The NRSC described the candidate as a “sham candidate” and urged officials to remove him from the ballot.
The committee warned it may pursue legal action if the issue is not addressed.
Alaska’s voting rules add another layer of risk to the controversy. In the open primary, the top four vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party. The general election then uses ranked-choice voting, where voters rank candidates in order of preference.
That structure creates a specific scenario Republicans fear: both candidates named Dan Sullivan could land on the general election ballot if they finish among the top four. Republicans argue that could confuse voters and shape outcomes in a closely watched contest.
As the legal and administrative fight builds, the competing sides are speaking past each other on motive.
Sullivan’s camp frames the duplicate-name ballot as a possible attempt to interfere—prompting the senator’s consideration of legal action. The Peltola campaign and Alaska Democratic Party deny involvement. insisting they have no affiliation with either of the candidates named Sullivan. At the same time, the NRSC continues pressing election officials for removal, warning that further steps could follow.
The next question is whether election officials will treat the concern as a ballot-design problem to be fixed—or a political dispute best left to the voters once the primary results are in.
Alaska primary ballot Dan Sullivan Dan J. Sullivan NRSC ranked-choice voting Peltola campaign election interference ballot confusion U.S. Senate race GOP concerns