Last-minute candidate Dan J. Sullivan from Petersburg filed just before the deadline, sparking claims of voter confusion aimed at helping Mary Peltola.
Alaska Senator Dan S. Sullivan (Republican) is accusing Democrats and the campaign of former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola (D) of orchestrating a "dirty trick" by recruiting or supporting a last-minute challenger who shares his exact name other than the middle initial: Dan J. Sullivan, from Petersburg, Alaska.
This challenger filed just days before the deadline for Alaska’s August 18, 2026, top-four primary. In the Alaskan system, all candidates run together in one primary, the top four advance, and the general election uses ranked-choice voting. Sullivan claims the identical name is designed to confuse voters and siphon Republican votes.
In an interview with CNN, the senator accused his opponent of running to mislead voters. “His whole purpose of running is to confuse Alaskans, to make them think that somehow he’s me, so they could rig the vote in favor of Mary Peltola,” Sen. Sullivan said.
Retired fifth-grade teacher Dan J. Sullivan claims that the senator’s lack of comment on the proposed anti-weaponization fund inspired his run for office. He also praised Alaska’s other Republican senator, Lisa Murkowski, as an example. Murkowski is known to be an unreliable vote for President Trump, having recently voted against the “Save Act.”
The Peltola campaign denies involvement with the challenger to the senator. Challenger Sullivan reportedly gave money to Democrat fundraising group Act Blue, including to Peltola.
“Our campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign,” a Peltola campaign spokesperson said. “It doesn’t matter who else is on the ballot. Mary is going to win by building a broad coalition of Alaskans ready to take on the rigged system and put Alaska first.”
Alaska Republicans, for their part, are asking the govener for the removal of the challenger, arguing it threatens election integrity. Senator Sullivan warned that if his opponent’s name is not removed, it will “probably lead to litigation.”
This comes as Peltola is seemingly competitive in the red state, with a recent polling showing a close race.
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