Alaska’s Senate Race Just Got More Confusing: Two Republican Dan Sullivans Advance

Republican Dan J. Sullivan officially joined Alaska GOP Sen. Dan S. Sullivan as two of the state’s top four midterm candidates Wednesday morning.

Both Republican Dan Sullivans will appear on the four-person, ranked-choice November ballot, which critics already call confusing enough without two people with the same name.

Republicans claim Dan J. Sullivan is a “sham” candidate running to intentionally confuse voters and give the leading candidate, former Democrat Rep. Mary Peltola, a boost in the ranked-choice system by splitting Republican votes across both Sullivans.

Dan J. Sullivan, a first-time politician and retired teacher, launched his bid to defeat incumbent two-term U.S. Sen. Dan S. Sullivan.

His original announcement did not include a party affiliation and read, “Dan Sullivan challenges Dan Sullivan for U.S. Senate Seat, urges Alaskans to defeat incumbent, elect a Sullivan who stands up for Alaska.” Now, his campaign website and ballot claim he is a Republican candidate without showing where he stands on any major policy initiative.

One tie Dan J. Sullivan has to Democrats is through a consultant who previously supported Peltola. According to a review conducted by Fox News Digital, progressive consultant Amber Lee helped author campaign materials for Dan J. Sullivan but previously supported Peltola.

Dan J. Sullivan, dubbed “Sham Candidate Sullivan” by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, was originally kicked off the ballot by a state election official’s decision that determined he filed his candidacy only with the intent to confuse voters. However, the decision was later invalidated by a judge. The state Supreme Court determined he was eligible after he sued for a spot on the ballot.

The November ballot will likely look like the primary ballot, with options for “Sullivan, Dan S. (Registered Republican) (Certified) Incumbent” and “Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr. (Registered Republican) (Certified).” They will both appear with Peltola and a fourth candidate Alaska has yet to announce.

Unlike ballots most Americans are used to, where voters get one vote, ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank the four candidates in order of preference. If their top choice is eliminated, their vote automatically passes to their next choice, effectively allowing voters to rank all four candidates.

Maine and Alaska are the only states that use the system for statewide general elections. Sen. Sullivan has long opposed the new system. “Like many others who did not support ranked choice voting in 2020, I still believe that this new election system has created unnecessary confusion among voters,” he said in 2024.