U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) speaks during a hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on April 30, 2026 in Washington, DC. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The political battle between two men named Dan Sullivan is back on after a judge reversed the decision by a state official to throw one of them off the ballot.
Big picture view:
Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews overturned the decision by Alaska’s Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher to remove Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher and former U.S. Forest Service employee, from the ballot in the state’s upcoming primary. Among others, this Sullivan would be taking on incumbent Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan.
Beecher kicked the challenging Sullivan off the ballot on June 15, explaining that his candidacy against the incumbent Sullivan was not "in good faith" and was designed to confuse voters.
What they're saying:
Matthews noted in his decision that Beecher’s decision was not based on the U.S. Constitution, Alaska law, or the Division of Elections’ regulations. He went on to write, "Instead, the decision was based upon a new, previously, unstated ‘good faith’ criterion."
The backstory:
In Alaska’s primary system, the top four candidates, regardless of party, will move on to the ranked-choice November ballot. The incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan and the National Republican Senatorial Committee allege the entrance into the race by the other Sullivan is meant to confuse voters.
In her ruling, Beecher noted that the challenger Sullivan registered to vote under the slightly different name of Dan. J. Sullivan Jr., and had only recently changed his affiliation to Republican. She also pointed out that parts of his website are similar to the incumbent’s, and that he has hired a consultant linked to Democrats.
The other side:
Sen. Sullivan claims his potential opponent has worked with Democrats and on the campaign of former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, a Democrat who is seen as Sen. Sullivan’s main challenger. The Peltola campaign and Democrats have both denied the allegations, as has the challenger.
Dan J. Sullivan has admitted that sharing the same name as the senator has given him "an instant megaphone," but claimed he has considered running for a while and was frustrated by the Dan Sullivan who is in office right now.
What's next:
Matthews’ ruling can be appealed to the state Supreme Court, and an attorney for Dan J. Sullivan, i.e., the challenger, told The Associated Press in an email that he expects the Division of Elections to appeal. Attorneys for the state previously indicated a decision is needed by Tuesday, so ballots can be printed in time for the August 18 primary.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press and previous coverage This story was reported from Orlando.