Alaska formally disqualifies namesake challenger to Sen. Dan Sullivan from appearing on the ballot
The head of the Alaska Division of Elections said Monday that the state will not allow Dan J. Sullivan, the namesake challenger to Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, to appear on the Aug. 18 primary ballot.
Division director Carol Beecher said in a three-page letter to the challenger Monday that she believes he filed in an effort to confuse voters.
"On review of the complaints and other information in the Division's possession, I conclude that your declaration of candidacy was not properly filed with the Division because it was not filed in order to declare an actual good-faith candidacy for the office of United States Senator, but was instead filed with a purpose to confuse or mislead and to thereby compromise the ballot's fairness or neutrality," Beecher said.
Dan J. Sullivan, 69 and a retired teacher from Petersburg, filed to run as a Republican for the U.S. Senate seat last month, days before the filing deadline.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Alaska Republican Party filed complaints with the Division of Elections, arguing that he had worked with Democrats or their supporters to run for office in an attempt to draw votes from the senator to benefit top challenger former Mary Peltola, a former U.S. representative and a Democrat.
Dan J. Sullivan has maintained that he has met every legal requirement to run, and said he was challenging the senator because he does not serve the interests of everyday Alaskans. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
The division had issued a preliminary decision last Wednesday saying Dan J. Sullivan was ineligible to run.
Beecher on Monday listed multiple reasons for her decision, including that the challenger wanted to be listed on the ballot as a Republican, though until two days before filing his declaration of candidacy, division records show he had never been affiliated with the Republican Party in Alaska; and that he wanted to be listed as Dan Sullivan on the ballot, though records indicate he never registered to vote under that name, and is registered as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.
The decision is final, but Sullivan can challenge the matter in Alaska Superior Court, Beecher said in the letter.
She also noted that primary election ballots will be printed June 28.
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This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 4:58 PM.