GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan is raising alarms about an eleventh-hour challenger: Dan J. Sullivan

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Source: CNN Politics

PUBLISHED Jun 7, 2026, 6:30 AM ET


It was three days before the filing deadline when Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan learned of an eleventh-hour Republican challenger in his high-stakes reelection race. The challenger’s name: Dan J. Sullivan. Sen. Sullivan says it’s not a joke. The two-term Republican incumbent, and the GOP’s Senate campaign arm, are raising major alarms about his same-name rival, warning that it could cost them a seat by confusing the electorate and give a leg-up to his well-funded Democratic challenger, former Rep. Mary Peltola.

In an interview with CNN, the senator accused Democratic leaders of planting Dan J. Sullivan in the race with the precise hope of undercutting his campaign – an allegation top Democrats in Washington and Anchorage firmly deny. “His whole purpose of running is to confuse Alaskans, to make him, make them think – Alaskan voters – that somehow he’s me, so they could rig the vote in favor of Mary Peltola,” Sen. Sullivan said.

Sullivan and the National Republican Senatorial Committee are pressing state officials to remove his challenger’s name from the ballot, with the senator telling CNN that he could take the matter to court if they don’t succeed administratively.

His new rival’s declaration of candidacy was stamped by the Alaska Divisions of Elections on May 29 – three days before the filing deadline. And the only thing that may distinguish the two men on the ballot is their middle initial. (The senator’s middle initial is “S.” ). “When people are going, ‘Oh, there’s two Dan Sullivans, isn’t that funny?’” an animated Sen. Sullivan said. “No, it’s cheating.”

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/07/politics/dan-sullivan-alaska-senate-ballot