Same-name Alaska Senate hopeful reaches ballot after court fight
Retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan says his run is legitimate despite GOP claims that his candidacy could confuse voters.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
4 min read
A retired schoolteacher with the same name as Alaska’s Republican U.S. senator is on the state’s Senate primary ballot after a court fight over whether his candidacy was legitimate. The dispute matters because Alaska’s Senate race could affect control of the chamber in November, the Associated Press reported.
Dan J. Sullivan of Petersburg is one of 16 candidates seeking the seat held by Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, a second-term Republican. Democrat Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman, is also running and, along with the incumbent, is among the highest-profile candidates in the race, according to AP.
Alaska uses a nonpartisan primary system in which all candidates appear on the same ballot and the top four finishers advance to a ranked-choice general election. The primary is scheduled for Aug. 18.
Ballot fight over a familiar name
Republican officials and allies of the incumbent senator have accused Dan J. Sullivan of being a sham candidate whose presence could mislead voters and help Peltola. The National Republican Senatorial Committee argued that his work with a consultant who had worked with Democrats showed an effort to confuse voters, AP reported.
Dan J. Sullivan and Peltola’s campaign have denied any coordination. The Alaska Democratic Party and campaign groups also denied recruiting him or being affiliated with his run, according to AP.
Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, a Republican who oversees elections, announced an investigation last month, citing what she called credible allegations of an effort to manipulate voters. Carol Beecher, director of the Alaska Division of Elections, later disqualified Dan J. Sullivan, saying he had not filed a good-faith candidacy, AP reported.
Beecher cited factors including his lack of prior Republican affiliation and a campaign website that resembled the senator’s. AP reported that her decision did not cite evidence of coordination with Peltola or Democrats.
A state court judge overturned the disqualification, finding the decision was not grounded in constitutional or legal requirements and that the evidence did not support a finding that Dan J. Sullivan intended to confuse voters. The Alaska Supreme Court then ordered that he be included on the ballot.
He is listed as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. with no party affiliation, while the senator appears as Republican Dan S. Sullivan and is labeled as the incumbent. Dan J. Sullivan told AP he does not see that as fair, but said the listing should address concerns about voter confusion.
Petersburg candidate draws local support
Dan J. Sullivan has lived for decades in Petersburg, a southeast Alaska island community of about 3,000 people accessible only by air or water. AP reported that many residents there know him as a retired elementary and middle school teacher and reject the idea that he is part of a political trick.
Orin Pierson, publisher of the Petersburg Pilot, told AP that residents who know Sullivan find it hard to dismiss his character. Jeigh Stanton Gregor, a borough Assembly member who worked with Sullivan at a local school, said Sullivan’s concerns about health care costs are meaningful to him, though he has not decided whom to support.
Dan J. Sullivan told AP he did not campaign during Independence Day events in Petersburg because he did not want to make the celebration about himself. He has a Facebook page and a basic campaign website, and AP reported that he is considering fundraising, campaign stops in other communities and candidate forums.
Why he says he is running
Dan J. Sullivan told AP that no single issue drove his candidacy, but he was frustrated by what he views as the senator’s lack of responsiveness to constituents. He also wanted the incumbent to join Sen. Lisa Murkowski, another Alaska Republican, in criticizing a Trump administration compensation fund proposal that could benefit people involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
He also cited concerns about President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, the war with Iran and costs faced by Alaskans. AP reported that he does not think rural health care funding passed by Congress last year, which the incumbent senator has promoted, is meeting immediate needs.
Petersburg residents often must travel to larger cities for specialized medical care, AP reported. Some also use trips to Juneau to bring vehicles on the state ferry and buy lower-cost supplies.
Resident Grace Wolf told AP she has appreciated the incumbent senator’s fiscal approach and military background, but plans to vote for Dan J. Sullivan, whom she knows as Mr. Sullivan. She said candidates from small Alaska communities better understand concerns such as affordability and protecting local fisheries.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.