Election Official Rules Candidate With Same Name As Senator Ineligible To Run In Preliminary Decision

The Alaska Division of Elections issued a preliminary decision Thursday, determining that Republican Dan J. Sullivan is not eligible to run for U.S. Senate against the incumbent, Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan.

Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher informed the other Sullivan of his ineligibility after receiving two complaints about his candidacy, according to the Anchorage Daily News. The other Sullivan’s candidacy raised speculation that he was being put on the ballot to confuse voters into voting for the wrong Sullivan, which in turn would help former Democratic Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola win the Senate race.

“Based on a review of the evidence presented and in the Division’s possession, the Division has determined that the preponderance of evidence does not support your eligibility for the office of United States Senator,” Beecher wrote.

The decision is not final, and Beecher gave Sullivan a chance to make his case by 5 p.m. Thursday, the Anchorage Daily News reported. The elections division will then make a final decision.

Democratic strategist Amber Lee authored a press release announcing the candidacy of Dan J. Sullivan, campaign metadata reviewed by the Daily Caller News Foundation in early June showed. Lee supported Peltola in the past, telling The Hill in January that she believed there was a good chance Peltola could defeat Sullivan. She also expressed hope in March 2025 that Peltola would run for governor because she believed the Democrat would be best able to “protect” the state from President Donald Trump’s administration.

In a letter to Beecher, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) argued that the other Sullivan must be removed from the ballot to protect election integrity laws.

Sullivan’s campaign spokesperson, Nate Adams, told the Daily Caller News Foundation on June 3 that Peltola and other Democrats were resorting to “dirty, dishonest tactics” to deceive Alaska voters.

“Mary Peltola and D.C. Democrats know they can’t win this race on the issues, so they’ve resorted to dirty, dishonest tactics – recruiting a sham candidate with the sole purpose of deceiving voters and manipulating Alaska’s election system,” Adams told the DCNF at the time. “This blatant attempt to confuse and disenfranchise Alaskans undermines confidence in our elections, and if allowed to stand, will deny voters the honest choice they deserve. We are reviewing all of our legal options and aren’t ruling anything out.”

The other Sullivan is a retired schoolteacher from Petersburg. Despite running for the Senate as a Republican, he has donated $650 to Democrats nationwide, including Peltola and Illinois candidate Kat Abughazaleh, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) records.

Peltola visited the other Sullivan’s hometown on May 28, days before he filed to launch his candidacy, according to the Anchorage Daily News.