Former Anchorage mayor backs incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska Senate race

Former Anchorage mayor Dan A. Sullivan publicly supported incumbent Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan in Alaska's Senate contest, urging voters to back the incumbent on social media. The endorsement comes as a third candidate, teacher Dan J. Sullivan, also running as a Republican, has been the subject of legal challenges and accusations that his campaign is intended to split the vote and confuse voters.

Republican officials have argued that Dan J. Sullivan's ties to a consultant aligned with Democratic interests indicate a coordinated effort to mislead the electorate, while the candidate maintains he is a moderate Republican dissatisfied with the incumbent's record.

Alaska's nonpartisan primary advances the top four vote-getters to a general election that uses ranked-choice voting, a system praised for expanding voter choice but criticized for potential confusion. The Alaska Supreme Court recently ruled that Dan J. Sullivan can remain on the ballot after an earlier removal, and federal and state prosecutors are reportedly examining whether his candidacy constitutes a voter-confusion scheme.

Sen. Dan S. Sullivan and Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola have secured spots in the general election, with the final field still pending as vote counts continue.