Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan’s re-election campaign is accusing one of his opponents in Alaska and Democrats in Washington of recruiting a candidate with the same first and last name: Dan Sullivan.
“Mary Peltola and D.C. Democrats know they can’t win this race on the issues, so they’ve resorted to dirty, dishonest tactics — recruiting a sham candidate with the sole purpose of deceiving voters and manipulating Alaska’s election system,” Nate Adams, the senator’s campaign spokesman, said in a statement Tuesday.
Peltola, who served in the House from 2023 to 2025, is the leading Democrat in the race as Sullivan seeks a third term in the Senate.
“This blatant attempt to confuse and disenfranchise Alaskans undermines confidence in our elections, and if allowed to stand, will deny voters the honest choice they deserve,” Adams added.
He also warned, “We are reviewing all of our options and aren’t ruling anything out.”
The other Sullivan challenging him announced his campaign for the Senate last week. He describes himself as an elementary school teacher and cancer survivor and said the senator who shares the name “has failed to put Alaska first.”
According to Alaska’s Division of Elections, the other Sullivan is a registered Republican, as well. His campaign logo appears to be similar to the logo for the senator’s re-election campaign — both feature stars and are navy blue, white and yellow-themed.
The two Senate-seeking Sullivans are not to be confused with Dan Sullivan, the former mayor of Anchorage, Alaska. The main distinction between the names of the two running for the Senate are their middle initials — the senator’s is S., and his new challenger’s is J.
Alaska operates under a ranked-choice voting system in which the top four vote-getters advance to the general election in November, regardless of party affiliation. The primary election is scheduled for Aug. 18.
A spokesperson for Peltola’s campaign, Harry Child, denied that the campaign is involved “with either Sullivan campaign.”
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the other Sullivan’s campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
CORRECTION (June 3, 2026, 9:15 a.m. ET): A previous version of this article incorrectly identified a Dan Sullivan. He is a former mayor of Anchorage, not the current mayor.
