Alaska election officials rule Dan Sullivan namesake ineligible for Senate primary ballot

Alaska Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher announced that Dan J. Sullivan, a 69‑year‑old retired teacher from Petersburg who shares the name and party affiliation of incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, is ineligible to appear on the August primary ballot. Beecher said the challenger’s filing “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 thereby compromise the ballot’s fairness or neutrality.”

The decision follows complaints from Senator Sullivan, the Alaska Republican Party and Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom, who launched an investigation after alleging the challenger coordinated with Democratic interests to aid former Rep. Mary Peltola. The challenger denied any coordination and said he entered the race out of dissatisfaction with the incumbent’s record. He may appeal the ruling, and ballots are slated to be printed on June 28.