A bizarre twist has emerged in Alaska’s Senate race, and Republicans are calling it an outright attempt to confuse voters.
At the center of the controversy is a second candidate named Dan Sullivan who recently entered the race against incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. Under normal circumstances, sharing a name with an incumbent would simply be an unusual coincidence. But new details uncovered by the Daily Caller News Foundation have fueled allegations that the candidacy may have been orchestrated to create confusion on the ballot.
According to metadata reviewed by the outlet, a campaign press release announcing the candidacy of Dan J. Sullivan listed Democratic strategist Amber Lee as its author. That discovery immediately raised questions because Lee has publicly supported Democrat Mary Peltola, the former congresswoman who is challenging Sen. Sullivan in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country.
The press release attributed to Dan J. Sullivan attacked the incumbent senator, accusing him of failing to put Alaska first and arguing that voters deserve a different representative.
“For too long, Senator Sullivan has failed to put Alaska first,” the statement read. “When you truly care about a people and a place, you have a duty to make every sacrifice within your power to protect them. That’s why I’m running.”
The timing and connections have sparked intense scrutiny.
Lee has been one of Peltola’s most vocal supporters. Earlier this year, she told The Hill that she believed Peltola had a legitimate opportunity to defeat Sen. Sullivan. In separate comments reported in March, Lee expressed hope that Peltola would run for governor because she believed the Democrat would be best positioned to protect Alaska from policies coming from the Trump administration.
When questioned about her apparent connection to Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign, Lee declined to comment. Neither she nor the campaign responded to requests from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Peltola’s campaign has denied any involvement.
“We have no involvement with either Sullivan campaign,” representatives told the outlet.
Still, additional details have fueled Republican suspicions. Federal Election Commission records reportedly show that Dan J. Sullivan donated $650 to Democratic candidates, including Peltola. The Anchorage Daily News also reported that Peltola visited his hometown of Petersburg just days before he formally filed his candidacy.
Those developments prompted a fierce response from the incumbent senator’s campaign.
“Mary Peltola and D.C. Democrats know they can’t win this race on the issues, so they’ve resorted to dirty, dishonest tactics—recruiting a sham candidate with the sole purpose of deceiving voters and manipulating Alaska’s election system,” Sullivan campaign spokesman Nate Adams told the DCNF.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has gone even further, sending a letter to Alaska election officials arguing that Dan J. Sullivan should be removed from the ballot to protect election integrity and prevent voter confusion.
Republicans view the situation as particularly significant because Alaska uses a ranked-choice voting system, creating circumstances where multiple candidates with similar names could potentially affect voting outcomes. Whether election officials agree remains to be seen.
The controversy arrives as polling suggests the race could be competitive. A May survey from Alaska Survey Research found Peltola leading Sen. Sullivan by roughly five points, 48.4 percent to 43.8 percent. Peltola has also demonstrated impressive fundraising strength, bringing in nearly $8.7 million during the first quarter of the year.
Despite that fundraising surge, Sullivan maintains a substantial financial position, reporting more than $7 million in cash on hand entering April.
