There’s Only Room for One Dan Sullivan in Alaska Senate Race

The newcomer with the same name as the sitting senator was trying to confuse or mislead voters, the election director ruled.

Sen. Dan Sullivan

Sen. Dan Sullivan will be the only Dan Sullivan on Alaska’s primary ballot after the state’s top election official booted another similarly named Sullivan from the race. Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

Alaska’s top election official ruled Monday that only one Dan Sullivan will appear on the state’s Senate ballot after Republicans insisted a second Dan Sullivan was only running to undermine the incumbent, Sen. Dan Sullivan.

Division of Elections director Carol Beecher said in a letter to Dan J. Sullivan, the challenger, that his candidacy “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.”

Sen. Sullivan’s campaign celebrated the decision as a win for Alaskans.