Alaska's lieutenant governor has launched an investigation into a Republican Senate candidate who shares the same name as the incumbent, amid allegations he entered the race to sow voter confusion. Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, who oversees elections, announced Monday that her office is probing Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., who uses the name "Dan Sullivan" on his campaign website, to determine his eligibility for the August 18 primary ballot.
In a June 8 letter to Sullivan, Dahlstrom wrote, "This Division must determine whether your declaration of candidacy was properly filed with good-faith intention to serve." She added, "I'm troubled by the allegation that you filed for office in coordination with another campaign with the intention of confusing Alaskan voters in a way that will benefit one candidate over another." If proven true, she said, the actions "would amount to not only deception of voters but diminish the rights of another candidate."
Dahlstrom has demanded that Sullivan submit a sworn affidavit answering specific questions, including his prior party affiliation, whether he has always used the nickname "Dan," and details about the design of his campaign website and logo. The challenger, a former U.S. Forest Service employee and elementary school teacher from Petersburg, filed to challenge the incumbent Republican senator last month.
Republicans allege that Sullivan Jr.'s candidacy is part of a coordinated effort with Democratic rivals to siphon votes from Sen. Dan Sullivan by exploiting the identical names. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) sent a letter to Dahlstrom urging her to block Sullivan from the ballot and investigate him. In that letter, obtained by Politico, the NRSC claimed Sullivan Jr. coordinated with Democratic strategist Amber Lee and others to "proactively confuse Alaskan voters and rig the voting system" to benefit former Rep. Mary Peltola, the senator's main Democratic opponent.
The Hill has reached out to Sullivan Jr.'s campaign, Sen. Sullivan's office, and Lee for comment. However, Sullivan Jr. denied the allegations in a telephone interview with the Associated Press, stating he had considered a Senate bid for over a decade and had zero contact with Peltola's campaign. "I have every right to run for whatever office I'm qualified for, and I'm qualified for this office," he said.
Sen. Dan Sullivan has threatened a lawsuit to investigate the matter further. "Everybody in Alaska knows I'm Dan Sullivan-R. So he's trying to do that. Why?" he told reporters. "He's not an R. He's purposely trying to trick my constituents to rig the election for Peltola."
Peltola's campaign has denied any involvement. Spokesman Harry Child told the Associated Press that the campaign "has no involvement in either Sullivan campaign," and Alaska Democratic Party Executive Director Jenny-Marie Stryker said her organization "is in no way affiliated with either Dan Sullivan."
This case echoes broader concerns about voter deception in political races, similar to efforts in Maine to reject a candidate before a primary due to alleged deceptive tactics. Meanwhile, Trump's planned $700 million coal push in Alaska adds another layer of political context to the state's heated election season.
