Alaska Senate primary features two Republican candidates named Dan Sullivan

Incumbent junior U.S. Senator Dan S. Sullivan of Alaska is facing an unusual challenge in the August 18 Republican primary: a 68‑year‑old former teacher and Forest Service employee from Petersburg, Dan J. Sullivan, has filed to run for the same Senate seat. Both candidates appear on the same ballot under the same name, prompting the incumbent’s campaign to accuse the challenger of a deliberate “sham” candidacy intended to confuse voters and of covert coordination with Democratic Senate hopeful Mary Peltola, a claim the Democrat’s campaign denies. Dan J. Sullivan says his run is motivated by dissatisfaction with the state’s economy and the incumbent’s record, emphasizing his right to run and urging voters to be informed. The Alaska election system allows all candidates, regardless of party, to compete in a single primary, with the top four advancing to the general election.