Former Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan has thrown his support behind incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaskas closely watched Senate race, pointedly rejecting another candidate with the same name who recently entered the contest.
According to WND, retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan jumped into the race in June to challenge Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, immediately raising suspicions among conservatives that Democrats were attempting to sow confusion on the ballot in a state that has long leaned Republican. The former mayor, who has long been a fixture in Alaska politics, has branded himself the OG Dan Sullivan and is now publicly urging voters to back the sitting senator rather than the late-entry namesake.
As the OG Dan Sullivan, I urge Alaskans to vote for Sen. Daniel S. Sullivan. Hes been great for Alaska, the former mayor wrote on Facebook, underscoring his belief that the incumbent has delivered for the state. Peltolas campaign, however, told the Daily Caller News Foundation in June that they had no involvement with either Sullivan campaign, distancing themselves from accusations of political gamesmanship.
Election officials initially tried to intervene, with Alaska Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher attempting to remove Dan J. Sullivan from the ballot amid concerns over voter confusion. After the retired teacher challenged that decision, Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews ruled that Dan J. Sullivan could remain on the ballot for the Aug. 18 state primary, keeping the unusual matchup intact.
The Department of Justice has issued grand jury subpoenas probing whether Dan J. Sullivan entered the race specifically to mislead voters and siphon support from Sen. Dan S. Sullivan. The incumbent now faces a competitive environment against Democrat Mary Peltola, who held a two-point RealClearPolitics polling edge as of Monday, even as Alaskas ranked-choice system and multiple same-party candidates give Democrats an opening in what should be a reliably conservative state.
That same system helped Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski fend off Trump-backed conservative challenger Kelly Tshibaka in 2022, despite Murkowskis controversial vote to remove President Donald Trump from office over the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. With another high-stakes race now clouded by ballot confusion and lawfare-style investigations, conservatives in Alaska are again confronting how election rules and tactical candidate placements can blunt the will of right-leaning voters in a deep red state.
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