Alaska election official rules same-name Senate challenger ineligible for primary ballot

Alaska's Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher announced that a candidate named Dan Sullivan, who filed to run as a Republican against incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan, is ineligible for the August primary. Beecher said the filing was not made in good faith but appeared intended to confuse voters and compromise the ballot's neutrality. The decision can be appealed, she added.

The challenger, a retired teacher from Petersburg, said he met the qualifications and entered the race because he is dissatisfied with the incumbent's twelve-year record. He described sharing the senator's name as “a matter of fate.”

Republican Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom has opened an investigation into the candidacy, citing allegations that the filing was coordinated with another campaign to mislead voters. Dahlstrom stated the investigation is based on “credible allegations” of an attempt to manipulate the election.

"The Lieutenant Governor’s job is to oversee elections fairly and impartially," the challenger said, adding that the actions taken against him give the impression that state officials are protecting the incumbent.

Both the challenger and the campaign of Democratic candidate Mary Peltola have denied any coordination. The ruling comes amid a closely watched Senate race that could affect control of the U.S. Senate.