Two Dan Sullivans Raise Confusion in Alaska Senate Race
A voter in Alaska’s tight Senate contest said he feared he had marked his ballot for Daniel J. Sullivan, rather than Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan. The two candidates’ similar names have drawn attention as the incumbent faces Democrat Mary Peltola ahead of the November 3 election. The ballot identifies the senator as the incumbent and lists the other candidate as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired schoolteacher with no party affiliation.
The voter said he could recall seeing only one Dan Sullivan while voting. Other Alaskans have expressed differing views: some said the names could cause mistakes, while others described the ballot as clear or dismissed the dispute as political theater. One voter said a friend noticed a mistaken choice while voting early and received a replacement ballot; that account was not independently confirmed.
The dispute also reached federal court. On November 1, U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit seeking to require Alaska to set aside ballots for the second Sullivan if those votes could affect the outcome of a loss by the senator. The department argued that the candidate’s presence could confuse voters. Gleason said the government had not offered a practical way to separate the ballots while preserving voter privacy. The department plans to appeal, though the election is just days away.
The race is rated a toss-up, and Peltola's team and national Democratic leaders say they had no part in the other Sullivan's run for office. Federal and state investigations into the circumstances remain underway. Alaska’s general election will provide a much larger test of voter response than the August primary, which drew about a quarter of registered voters.
Court Rejects Federal Bid to Interfere With Alaska Ballots
The Justice Department tried to impose special treatment on Alaska’s Senate ballots just before Election Day, but a federal judge dismissed its case. The department wanted the state to segregate ballots if Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan lost and votes for Daniel J. Sullivan could have changed the result.
Judge Sharon Gleason said the government had no workable method to separate those ballots without undermining voter privacy. The department plans to appeal, but November 3 is near. The ruling keeps the burden on voters and election officials to navigate a ballot listing two candidates with similar names, rather than allowing federal officials to intervene in certification.
The confusion is not merely hypothetical for some voters. One Alaskan said he feared he had selected the wrong candidate, and another described a friend getting a replacement ballot after realizing the error. Others say the ballot is clear or call the dispute political theater. The senator is marked as the incumbent, while Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. is listed separately.
With the race rated a toss-up, even concerns about mistaken votes have become politically consequential. Peltola's team and national Democratic leaders say they had no part in the other Sullivan's run for office. Investigations continue, but the immediate question is whether Alaska’s election can proceed without the federal government’s proposed ballot intervention.
Alaska Voters Face Confusing Ballot as Court Rejects Safeguard
Alaska voters are heading into a close Senate election with two candidates named Dan Sullivan on the ballot—and some say the risk of confusion is real. One Republican supporter said he became worried after voting that he had selected Daniel J. Sullivan instead of incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan.
The ballot labels the senator as the incumbent, but that has not ended concerns. Alaskans interviewed about the race offered conflicting accounts: some said similar names could lead to mistakes, and one described a friend correcting a mistaken choice with election workers. Others insist voters can tell the candidates apart. The election on November 3 will draw far more voters than the August primary, when about a quarter of registered voters participated.
A federal judge dismissed the Justice Department’s request to require Alaska to segregate ballots if votes for the second Sullivan could affect the outcome of the senator’s race. Judge Sharon Gleason said the department had not explained how to do that while protecting ballot secrecy. The department plans to appeal, though the election is imminent.
The stakes are substantial: the contest is rated a toss-up, and a Peltola victory could help Democrats shift the balance in the Senate. Peltola's team and national Democratic leaders say they had no part in the other candidate's run for office. Federal and state investigations continue, while voters must make their choices under the ballot as it stands.
Reported by Daily Mail US, Newsweek, New York Post.
