Two candidates named Dan Sullivan to appear on Alaska Senate ballot

Incumbent Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan will be joined on Alaska's November U.S. Senate ballot by Democrat Mary Peltola and a second Republican candidate, Dan J. Sullivan, a retired school teacher and former Forest Service employee. The state’s nonpartisan primary, which advances the top four vote-getters, showed Sullivan with about 43% of the vote, Peltola with more than 48%, and Dan J. Sullivan with roughly 2.5% when 85% of ballots were counted.

The incumbent had previously described the challenger as a “sham” candidate allegedly backed by Democrats to confuse voters, but a state supreme court order restored his place on the ballot after election officials had initially disqualified him. Both Sullivans will appear side by side on the ballot, with the incumbent listed as a “registered Republican” and “incumbent,” while the challenger’s name will have no additional label.

Alaska uses ranked-choice voting in general elections, allowing voters who may mistakenly select the challenger to rank the incumbent as a subsequent choice, which could mitigate any impact on Sullivan’s re-election prospects. The race is part of a broader set of Senate contests in which Democrats are targeting Republican-held seats in several states while defending their own incumbents.