Former schoolteacher Dan J. Sullivan advanced to the general election Tuesday against incumbent Republican Alaska Sen. Dan S. Sullivan.
The retired teacher was among the top four finishers after the Aug. 18 primary and will face Sullivan and former Democratic Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola in the November general election. He entered the race in June against the senator with the same name, raising suspicions that Democrats purposely aided his efforts.
Alaska has a ranked-choice voting system, allowing four candidates to advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation, and accepts overseas and absentee ballots up to ten days after the primary if they are postmarked by election day.
Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher informed Sullivan in a letter that his declaration of candidacy “was not filed in order to declare an actual good-faith candidacy,” but rather to confuse voters into voting for the wrong Sullivan. After Sullivan appealed the ruling, Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews ruled he could remain on the ballot for the state’s primary.
Sullivan intended to appear on the ballot as Republican Dan J. Sullivan, although the Division of Elections listed him as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. with no party affiliation.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued grand jury subpoenas into whether Dan J. Sullivan entered the race to confuse voters and steal voters from Dan S. Sullivan.
Campaign metadata showed that Democratic strategist Amber Lee wrote the June 11 campaign announcement for Dan. J Sullivan. Lee previously expressed support for former Democratic Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola, telling The Hill in March 2025 that she hoped Peltola would run for governor because she believed the Democrat would be best able to “protect” the state from President Donald Trump’s administration.
Peltola’s campaign claimed to the Daily Caller News Foundation they had “no involvement with either Sullivan campaign.”
The incumbent Sullivan has faced a competitive challenge from Peltola, who held a two-point average lead as of Wednesday, according to RealClearPolitics polling.
Trump endorsed the incumbent Sullivan and accused the other Sullivan of trying to trick voters. Former Republican Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan endorsed the incumbent senator over Dan J. Sullivan.
(DCNF)