Politics is a dirty business, but Alaska is taking it to a surreal new level. State election officials are now threatening to kick a Republican Senate candidate off the ballot. His crime? Having the exact same name as the sitting Republican senator, Dan Sullivan.
Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher fired off a letter to the challenger, Dan Sullivan. She claimed her office received two complaints. According to Beecher, the “preponderance of evidence” suggests he isn’t actually eligible to run. She gave him until Thursday to prove he exists and has a right to be on the ballot.
The challenger didn’t immediately comment. Beecher, a registered Republican who has previously opened her wallet for GOP campaigns, didn’t bother to explain what this mysterious “evidence” actually is. Her office went silent when asked for details. Typical.
This isn’t just a local quirk. It’s a high-stakes fight. Democrats want this Senate seat. They smell blood.
The incumbent, Senator Dan Sullivan, is furious. He claims his namesake is a Democratic plant designed to siphon votes and help former Democratic Representative Mary Peltola. Both the challenger and Peltola say that’s garbage. The challenger, a retired teacher living in the tiny fishing town of Petersburg, insists the decision to run was entirely his own. “Zero, none, zilch,” he said of any contact with Peltola’s team.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom is weaponizing her office. She launched an investigation into the challenger’s motives.
The challenger isn’t taking it lying down. He fired back, writing that the law prevents her from blocking him just because the incumbent and the National Republican Senatorial Committee are sweating. He called the probe an unprecedented attack on voter rights. He’s not wrong.
Dahlstrom’s investigation is bizarre. She demanded to know why he uses the name Dan Sullivan, how long he’s used it, and who he’s talking to. She claims there are “credible allegations” he’s running in bad faith just to confuse voters.
Legal experts are raising eyebrows. The ACLU of Alaska noted they’ve never seen a lieutenant governor investigate a candidate’s motives like this. Former Alaska Attorney General Jahna Lindemuth warned that policing why someone runs treads dangerously close to violating the Constitution. If voter confusion is the issue, Lindemuth noted, Dahlstrom could just label the incumbent on the ballot. But that would be too simple.
The challenger meets all constitutional requirements. He’s nearly 69, moved to Alaska in 1980, and worked for the Forest Service before teaching. The state already certified him as “Dan J. Sullivan,” while the incumbent is listed as “Dan S. Sullivan.”
Still, the GOP panic machine is in overdrive. One pro-incumbent group is already running ads specifically calling their guy “Sen. Dan S. Sullivan.” They’re terrified of a name.
