What to know about Alaska's Senate race with 2 Dan Sullivans
In Alaska's Senate race, voters will choose between four candidates, including GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan and a man with the same first and last name — a situation that has frustrated Republicans and drawn scrutiny for Democrat Mary Peltola.
Key points
- Alaska's Senate race includes incumbent Dan S. Sullivan and a second Republican candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan, whose similar name has raised concerns about voter confusion.
- The New York Times reported that a Democratic operative who worked with Mary Peltola's campaign helped encourage Daniel J. Sullivan to run, prompting an investigation ordered by Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
- The Justice Department filed a lawsuit to challenge certification of the race if Sen. Sullivan loses due to votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan, while Peltola denies any involvement.
Alaska's Senate race features two candidates named Dan Sullivan, an unusual situation that has drawn scrutiny and prompted investigations. The incumbent, identified on the ballot as Dan S. Sullivan, is a Republican. The other, Daniel J. Sullivan, is a retired teacher from rural Alaska who also ran as a Republican and came in third in the August primary with 2.5% of the vote. Democrat Mary Peltola came in first with 49.5%, followed by Sen. Sullivan with 41.4%.
Alaska uses a nonpartisan primary and ranked-choice general election, first implemented in 2022. Voters rank candidates, and if no one wins more than 50% outright, the lowest vote-getter is eliminated and their supporters' votes are redistributed. Daniel J. Sullivan's presence on the ballot has raised concerns about confusing voters, and Republicans have been working to distinguish the two candidates, including with a radio jingle.
What officials said
After The New York Times reported that a Democratic operative who worked with Peltola's campaign and national Democrats helped encourage Daniel J. Sullivan to run, Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered an investigation. He wrote on X that the reporting reveals "disturbing new evidence of an organized effort to manipulate Alaska's elections by recruiting candidates."
Peltola denied any involvement. "I knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent," she said. "I am not interested in tricking voters."
I knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent.
— Mary Peltola
Justice Department lawsuit
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit last week to preemptively challenge certification of the Senate race if Sen. Sullivan loses. Attorney General Todd Blanche said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that the DOJ is not saying "don't certify," but if a court determined the race was decided by confusion rather than the will of the voters, the state should not certify the election.
The Peltola campaign called the lawsuit "a despicable political threat to overturn an election." GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski opposed the lawsuit, saying Alaskans don't need help voting. Election law expert David Becker said the lawsuit has no legal basis and won't stop certification.
