Alaska voters will face two similarly named candidates for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, after a New York Times report alleged that operatives linked to Democratic nominee Mary Peltola’s campaign recruited a retired teacher to run against Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan.
The Peltola campaign and the retired teacher have denied coordinating any such scheme. The allegations have nonetheless set off a legal and political storm.
Months combing voter rolls
According to the Times, operatives aligned with Peltola spent months in 2025 searching Alaska’s voter rolls for an ordinary citizen named Dan Sullivan. Court system directories show that more than a dozen Alaska residents share the name, which is common in the state because of its Irish-American population.
The operatives reportedly travelled to remote towns under assumed names before locating Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired fifth-grade schoolteacher. They approached him at a local pub and, over beers, pitched him on running for the Senate, the report said.
Confusion strategy alleged
The alleged aim was not to win votes for a new candidate but to confuse voters in a tight race. If even one or two per cent of voters mistakenly chose the retired teacher over the incumbent, it could be enough to swing the result.
Federal and state action
The U.S. Justice Department has reportedly issued grand jury subpoenas and moved to block certification of the election. Alaska’s Republican governor has opened a state criminal investigation into possible election manipulation. President Donald Trump has condemned the affair on social media.
The Alaska Supreme Court has ruled that the retired teacher has a constitutional right to run for office.
Third Dan Sullivan weighs in
Voters will therefore see two names on the ballot: Dan S. Sullivan, the Republican incumbent, and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., an independent. Adding to the confusion, Anchorage’s former mayor, who is also named Dan Sullivan, has endorsed the incumbent.
