Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan Can Face Challenge From Other Dan Sullivan, Court Says

Alaska voters will be seeing double on their primary ballots in August.

The state’s top court said Monday that a retired teacher named Dan J. Sullivan can appear on the ballot as a Republican alongside incumbent GOP Sen. Dan S. Sullivan — a ruling that reverses a top election official’s decision to disqualify the challenger.

The new ruling appears to end a bizarre saga that has dominated Alaska politics for weeks. And it could hurt Sen. Sullivan’s effort to fend off a challenge from his Democratic opponent, former Rep. Mary Peltola, in a contest that could decide control of the Senate.

The senator’s campaign swiftly panned the outcome.

“We’re disappointed in the court’s decision because as the sham candidate Dan J. Sullivan’s lawyers made clear in their legal arguments, the only reason he is running is to deceive voters and manipulate Alaska’s election system,” Nate Adams, a spokesperson for the senator, said in a statement. “However, we are encouraged by the fact that the Director of the Division of Elections will be able to use her expertise to differentiate between the Petersburg fraud and the incumbent — Senator Dan Sullivan — to the benefit of Alaska voters."

The campaign of Dan J. Sullivan, who recently changed his registration to Republican, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He previously said on social media that he “met the qualification” to run and had entered the race “because I am unhappy with the 12-year record of the current Senator and I feel we need a change.”

Republicans have accused the challenger of being a Democratic plant meant to siphon votes from the senator and pave a clearer path for Peltola — and have filed complaints to state and federal agencies to stymie his campaign. They say he appears to be working with a Democratic operative who previously backed Peltola and is using a campaign logo and website similar to those of the incumbent.

Republican fears are amplified by Alaska’s ranked-choice primary system, which allows the top four vote-getters to advance to the general election. The two Sullivans could end up on the general election ballot together — drawing votes from each other and boosting Peltola. One Nation, a nonprofit aligned with the GOP super PAC Senate Leadership Fund, is already putting out ads using the senator’s middle initial to help voters differentiate.

Peltola’s campaign and other Democratic campaign arms have denied involvement in the newcomer’s bid.

Alaska’s elections division, which is overseen by the state’s GOP lieutenant governor, initially struck Dan J. Sullivan from the ballot, arguing that he had filed his candidacy to “mislead” voters. That decision was overturned by a state superior court judge last week and was fast-tracked through the Alaska Supreme Court on Monday ahead of the Tuesday deadline to print ballots.

“This matter is remanded for the Division of Elections to determine, in the first instance, how appellee Sullivan shall be listed as a candidate within the confines of existing Alaska ballot design law,” the court said.