Alaska investigates Senate challenger using incumbent Dan Sullivan’s name

Alaska’s elections chief has opened an investigation into a Senate challenger campaigning under the same name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan, raising a ballot-integrity question that goes beyond one race. Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom said credible allegations suggest Daniel James Sullivan Jr. may have coordinated his candidacy with another campaign and tried to mislead voters, a claim that puts the state’s identity checks and ballot-design safeguards under scrutiny.

The challenge centers on how closely Daniel James Sullivan Jr. mirrored the incumbent’s political branding. He filed to run on May 29, 2026, just before Alaska’s June 1 candidacy deadline, and used the name Dan Sullivan on his campaign materials. His website reportedly carried the slogan, Dan Sullivan Challenges Dan Sullivan for U.S. Senate Seat, language that officials and party operatives say could blur the line between the sitting senator and the challenger. Alaska’s Division of Elections says all candidates appear on the same primary ballot regardless of party registration, which makes clear labeling especially important in a state where voters do not separate the field by party.

Dahlstrom asked Sullivan to submit a sworn affidavit by Wednesday answering several questions tied to identity and intent. She wanted to know whether he had been affiliated with the Republican Party before, what versions of his name he has used in voter registration, whether he intentionally mimicked the senator’s logo and website, and whether he had spoken with consultants, other Senate candidates or Democratic Party agents about his candidacy. She also asked whether he would object to appearing on the ballot as Sullivan, Daniel James Jr., with a note identifying him as the non-incumbent.

The dispute comes as Alaska prepares for an August 18, 2026 primary and a November 3, 2026 general election under the state’s top-four system, which sends the four highest vote-getters to the general election. That structure was designed to broaden competition, but it also heightens the risk that a similar name could shape voter behavior before people read past the first line on the ballot. State ballot practices already use middle initials to distinguish candidates, and both Dan Sullivans are expected to appear with those identifiers.

The incumbent, who is seeking a third term, has accused the challenger of being recruited by Democrats. Daniel James Sullivan Jr., of Petersburg, has said the candidacy is his own choice, that he has met all requirements, and that he is running as a Republican because that is how he was raised. He has also said that sharing a name and party affiliation gives him an "instant megaphone." The National Republican Senatorial Committee has urged Alaska officials to reject the filing, saying it was meant to confuse voters. The case now tests how far election law can go in protecting voters from deception when a candidate’s name itself becomes part of the campaign.