Alaska Ballot: Two Sullivans Spark Investigation
Democratic candidate Mary Peltola denies involvement after GOP officials say a second Dan Sullivan was added to confuse voters.
By Rosa Fuentes ·
Two candidates named Dan Sullivan are listed on the Alaska U.S. Senate ballot for the 2026 midterm elections.
President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Dan Sullivan, a Republican from Alaska, accused Democrats of trying to confuse voters. The dispute centers on Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola, a former Alaska congresswoman. Reports indicate that Peltola campaign staffers attempted to recruit a candidate sharing the name of the incumbent Republican senator.
The New York Times reported Wednesday that the recruitment effort took place. While the action is not illegal, it has triggered scrutiny from state and federal officials. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, ordered an investigation into alleged election manipulation. The state’s highest court previously ruled that both men must remain on the ballot.
On the ballot, Daniel J. Sullivan appears without any modifiers. Daniel S. Sullivan is listed with the labels incumbent and Republican. The state uses ranked choice voting for its elections. If no candidate secures a majority after Tuesday’s vote, officials will tally the ranked choices to determine the winner.
Trump addressed the issue Thursday before departing for South Carolina. He called the situation a fraud and said it should not be allowed to happen. He stated that the move was done in conjunction with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and others. Vance, the vice president, echoed the criticism on Thursday. He described the situation as disgraceful and said Peltola committed a moral failing. He hoped Alaska voters would punish her for the error.
Peltola’s campaign responded in a written statement. They said they had no involvement with either Sullivan campaign. Representative James Comer, the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee, announced a federal investigation on Thursday. He is examining whether the Peltola campaign intentionally confused voters. Comer issued a letter requesting in-person testimony from key Peltola staffers next week.
The next step in the process is the testimony requested by Comer. Staffers will appear before the committee to address the recruitment attempts. The state election will proceed as scheduled on Tuesday.
