Dan Sullivan alleges same-name rival is trying to confuse Alaska voters

6/10/2026

Alaska Senate race heats up as Dan Sullivan faces a same-name primary challenge Name confusion could sway voters in ranked-choice voting—see what happens next

Sen. Dan Sullivan, a Republican from Alaska, is facing a primary challenge from another candidate with the same name, Dan J. Sullivan. The senator says the rival campaign is meant to confuse voters and help Democrats in the state’s Senate race. Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom has asked the challenger to provide a sworn affidavit explaining his GOP ties after allegations surfaced that he filed to run as a Republican without a clear party history. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has also asked federal regulators to examine possible coordination involving the candidate and a Democratic consultant. The dispute comes as Alaska prepares for a competitive Senate election shaped by rankedchoice voting. If the challenger remains on the ballot, name confusion could affect both the Republican primary and the broader race for one of the state’s top Senate seats.