Alaska Voter Says Senate Ballot Makes Dan Sullivans Easy to Tell Apart
The voter spoke at an early voting center in Anchorage as President Donald Trump continued criticizing Alaska’s Senate ballot. Asked whether he could tell the two candidates apart, the man said he could, even without his glasses, and that the ballot was clear.
Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan is listed as “Sullivan, Dan S,” with “Registered Republican” and “Incumbent” beside his name. The other candidate, retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan of Petersburg, is listed without a party affiliation. University of Alaska Southeast political scientist Glenn Wright also said the ballot clearly identifies the incumbent.
Trump has called the name overlap cheating and said he directed the Justice Department to take action. A lawsuit filed on October 22, 2026, asks a federal judge to block certification if votes cast for Sullivan’s namesake could have affected the outcome. Alaska has asked the court to dismiss the case.
Alaska’s Supreme Court allowed the second Sullivan to remain on the ballot after election officials disqualified him in June. He received about 2.5% of the vote in the August primary. Trump has also called for Democratic candidate Mary Peltola and the second Sullivan to be prosecuted; Peltola’s campaign denies involvement in recruiting him, and Sullivan says he had no dealings with the campaign. Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy has launched a state investigation. Voting ends November 3, 2026, in the ranked-choice race, where Peltola holds a narrow lead.
Alaska Ballot Clearly Identifies Incumbent Despite Trump’s Claims
An Anchorage voter said the dispute over two Dan Sullivans on Alaska’s Senate ballot had not changed his vote. He said he could readily distinguish the candidates, even without his glasses. The ballot identifies Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan as “Sullivan, Dan S,” and marks him as the incumbent and a registered Republican; the other Dan Sullivan is listed without a party affiliation.
That straightforward distinction is at odds with President Donald Trump’s claim that voters may not understand the ballot. Trump has called the overlap cheating and said he personally directed the Justice Department to act. A federal lawsuit filed on October 22, 2026, seeks to freeze certification if ballots cast for the other Sullivan could have affected the senator’s defeat. Alaska is asking the court to dismiss the case.
Alaska’s Supreme Court reversed election officials’ June decision to disqualify the second Sullivan, who received about 2.5% in the August primary. Trump has since demanded prosecution of Democratic candidate Mary Peltola and the other Sullivan. Peltola’s campaign denies involvement in recruiting him, and Sullivan says he had no dealings with it.
The ballot’s labels and the voter’s account underscore the stakes of treating an ordinary candidate-name overlap as proof of wrongdoing. Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy has opened a state investigation. Voting ends November 3, 2026, in the ranked-choice contest, with Peltola holding a narrow lead.
Alaska’s Name-Confusion Dispute Deserves a Full Election Review
Alaska’s Senate ballot lists two candidates named Dan Sullivan, a circumstance President Donald Trump says could confuse voters. Trump has branded the overlap cheating and said he directed the Justice Department to act. A federal case filed on October 22, 2026, asks a judge to halt certification if ballots cast for the second Sullivan could have affected the incumbent senator’s defeat.
One Anchorage voter said on October 29, 2026, the ballot was clear enough to identify the candidates without glasses. Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan appears as “Sullivan, Dan S,” with his party and incumbent status printed alongside. The other candidate, retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan of Petersburg, is listed without a party affiliation. University of Alaska Southeast political scientist Glenn Wright likewise described the ballot as clear.
The dispute still merits scrutiny because it concerns whether a candidate’s presence could affect an election result. Trump has pointed to claims that people around Democratic candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign sought out Alaskans named Dan Sullivan. Her campaign denies involvement, and the second Sullivan says he had no dealings with it. Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy has launched a state investigation, while Alaska is asking the court to dismiss the federal lawsuit.
The state Supreme Court allowed the second Sullivan to remain on the ballot after election officials disqualified him in June. He won about 2.5% in the August primary. Voting ends November 3, 2026, in the ranked-choice race, where Peltola holds a narrow lead.
Reported by The Daily Beast, CNN.
