Ballot Battle In Alaska: Official Moves To Disqualify Senate Challenger Who Shares Name With Sen. Dan Sullivan

JUNEAU, Alaska — The state's top elections official has threatened to remove from the August primary ballot a U.S. Senate challenger who shares the same name and party affiliation as incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan.

Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher told the challenger — also named Dan Sullivan — in a written notice that her office received two complaints and concluded "that the preponderance of evidence does not support your eligibility for the office of United States Senator." Beecher set a Thursday deadline for the challenger to submit "any additional information and evidence." The letter, published by the Anchorage Daily News, did not detail the evidence underlying the determination.

Beecher is a registered Republican who has donated to GOP groups; her office did not provide further comment when contacted.

FILE - Carol Beecher, the new director of the Alaska Division of Elections, speaks during a news conference, Feb. 16, 2023, in Juneau, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, File)(AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)

The challenger, a Petersburg resident who said he moved to Alaska in 1980 and previously worked for the U.S. Forest Service before becoming a teacher, told The Associated Press that running was "my choice." He denied coordinating with Democrats and said he had "zero, none, zilch" contact with former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola's campaign. Peltola has also denied any coordination.

Sen. Dan Sullivan has accused his namesake of working with Democrats to confuse voters and boost Peltola's chances; those allegations have been echoed in a letter from the National Republican Senatorial Committee to state officials.

Republican Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, who oversees elections, opened a related investigation and asked the challenger to explain his party affiliation, how long he has used the name Dan Sullivan, whether he is affiliated with a consultant and whether he has communicated with other candidates or the Democratic Party. Dahlstrom said the probe stems from what she described as "credible allegations" that the challenger did not declare his candidacy in good faith but rather to prompt voter confusion.

FILE - Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, June 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

"The law forbids your office from denying me access to the ballot just because Senator Sullivan and the NRSC would prefer I not be allowed to run," the challenger wrote, calling the investigation "an unprecedented affront to my rights as a candidate and the rights of Alaska voters."

Civil liberties groups and legal experts have raised concerns about the inquiry. The ACLU of Alaska said it was "unaware of any other instance where the Lieutenant Governor has investigated a specific candidate for reasons other than determining whether a candidate meets federal, state and local eligibility requirements" and said it is monitoring the situation. Former Alaska Attorney General Jahna Lindemuth warned that probing a candidate's motives could raise free-speech and other constitutional concerns, and suggested that election officials could reduce confusion by clarifying ballot labels rather than investigating intent.

Federal constitutional requirements for U.S. senators are limited: be at least 30 years old, have been a U.S. citizen for at least nine years and be a resident of the state at the time of election. The Division of Elections previously certified the challenger and listed him as Dan J. Sullivan on its candidate roster; the incumbent appears as Dan S. Sullivan and is labeled the incumbent. At least one pro-incumbent group, One Nation, has begun using "Sen. Dan S. Sullivan" in campaign materials.

It was not immediately clear whether the challenger has retained an attorney to challenge any removal from the ballot.