A retired teacher who happens to share the same name as Alaska’s incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan will advance to face him in November’s general election, the Associated Press projected Wednesday.
Dan J. Sullivan’s decision to run against a man with the same name has confounded Republicans in the state, who allege that he is engaging in subterfuge and intends to boost the chances of former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, who is also running for the seat.
Dan J. Sullivan, who is also running as a Republican, placed third in Alaska’s all-party primary, where the top four vote-getters continue on to the general election. He came in behind the Republican lawmaker of 11 years and Peltola, according to a Wednesday vote tabulation. Results were too close to call for the fourth candidate as of Wednesday morning.
Democrats have been vying to flip the seat by targeting Sen. Sullivan’s support for President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the war in Iran. Sen. Sullivan and his allies, including Trump, attempted to boost his campaign by defending his record and accusing Peltola of setting up a fake candidate: Petersburg, Alaska, resident Dan J. Sullivan.
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Peltola’s campaign has repeatedly denied being involved with Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign.
“Mary Peltola was in Petersburg days before Sham candidate Dan Sullivan announced his candidacy,” Sen. Sullivan wrote on Facebook in June. “Sham candidate Dan Sullivan had a left-wing political operative help him launch his campaign.”
Legal trouble arose for Dan J. Sullivan in the lead-up to Tuesday’s primary election. Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher initially deemed Dan J. Sullivan ineligible to run, saying in a letter that the Petersburg resident “filed with a purpose to confuse or mislead and to thereby compromise the ballot’s fairness or neutrality.”
The Alaska Supreme Court overturned Beecher’s decision in June after Sullivan sued to remain on the ballot. He was listed on Tuesday’s ballot as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., while his rival was identified as Dan S. Sullivan.
A third Dan Sullivan — former Anchorage Mayor Dan A. Sullivan — weighed in with an endorsement for the incumbent lawmaker earlier this month. The obstacles have still not impeded the former teacher’s desire to win.
“My name is my name,” Dan J. Sullivan told the Alaska Beacon in June. “The ballot belongs to the people and not to the incumbent.”
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