Alaska disqualifies second Dan Sullivan from Senate ballot

Alaska election officials removed Daniel James Sullivan Jr. of Petersburg from the U.S. Senate ballot after concluding that his candidacy raised credible concerns about deliberate voter confusion in a race already drawing national money and attention.

Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom opened the investigation on June 8, asking for a sworn affidavit from Sullivan on whether he had any direct or indirect contact with another Senate candidate or with an agent of the Democratic Party. The state said the review was driven by allegations that Sullivan filed in coordination with another campaign, had recently affiliated with the Republican Party, and was using the same first and last name as incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan.

On June 15, Dahlstrom issued a final determination declaring Dan J. Sullivan ineligible for the August 18 primary ballot. Alaska officials said the case turned on the integrity of the election process and whether voters could be misled in a crowded field where names matter.

The challenge landed in a race that initially drew 16 candidates, including seven Republicans, three Democrats, three independents, one Green Party candidate and one Libertarian candidate. The filing deadline passed June 1, and the withdrawal deadline runs through June 27, leaving Alaska’s ballot still in flux even after the disqualification.

The contest has become one of the country’s most closely watched Senate races. Democrats have already spent millions to help former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, who entered the race on January 12, 2026, while Republicans are backing the incumbent Dan Sullivan, who first won election in 2014, took office in 2015 and was reelected in 2020.

Alaska’s voting system adds another layer of significance. Voters will use a top-four nonpartisan primary on August 18, with the four highest vote-getters advancing to the general election on November 3, where ranked-choice voting decides the winner. The state adopted ranked-choice voting after a 2020 ballot measure passed with 51 percent support and began using the system in 2022.

Dan Sullivan of Petersburg pushed back on June 11, saying the state’s challenge was an affront to his rights and insisting that his candidacy was authentic. The incumbent accused him of being a sham candidate intended to mislead voters and help Democrats through the dynamics of ranked-choice voting.

The ruling underscores the tension Alaska’s election system faces in 2026: preserving broad ballot access while drawing a hard line against tactics officials say could distort voter choice.