Background

Dan J. Sullivan was on Alaska's 3 November 2026 Senate ballot with Senator Dan S. Sullivan, a Republican, and Democrat Mary Peltola. With 74.3% of the expected vote counted, NBC reported on 4 November that Peltola led the senator 48.2% to 47.9% on first choices, and Dan J. Sullivan was among the other candidates sharing 3.9%. Under ranked choice those ballots pass to each voter's next choice in the tabulation on 18 November.

He is a retired teacher from Petersburg who filed as a Republican, and a different person from the senator. The Alaska Division of Elections moved to strike him from the ballot on 12 June 2026 on voter-confusion grounds, after Republican groups alleged he had donated to Democrats and hired Democratic-aligned staff. Director Carol Beecher then ruled he had not filed in good faith.

The Alaska Supreme Court reversed the Division on 29 June and reinstated him to the 18 August primary ballot, where he took 2.4% in early returns. With the two front-runners 0.3 points apart, where his voters' later preferences go is the main unknown in the tabulation.

Common Questions

Where do Dan J. Sullivan's votes go under ranked choice?

Neither front-runner has half the first choices, so on 18 November his ballots and those of other trailing candidates pass to each voter's next choice until one candidate has a majority.Source: Alaska Division of Elections

How many votes did Dan J. Sullivan get in Alaska's 2026 Senate race?

He was among the other candidates who together held 3.9% of first choices with 74.3% of the expected vote counted, NBC reported on 4 November 2026.Source: NBC News

Is the Dan Sullivan running against Mary Peltola the same as Senator Dan Sullivan?

No. Dan J. Sullivan is a retired teacher from Petersburg; the senator is Dan S. Sullivan, a Republican in office since 2015. Both appeared on the 3 November 2026 ballot with Democrat Mary Peltola.Source: Alaska Division of Elections

Did the Alaska Supreme Court let the second Dan Sullivan back on the ballot?

Yes, the Court reinstated him to the 18 August primary ballot on 29 June 2026, reversing the Division of Elections.Source: Alaska Supreme Court

Is the second Dan Sullivan related to the Alaska senator?

No. The Alaska Supreme Court and election officials have confirmed they are unrelated individuals who happen to share a name.Source: Alaska Supreme Court

Why are there two Dan Sullivans running for Senate in Alaska?

A retired Petersburg schoolteacher named Dan Sullivan filed as a Republican against the incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, producing an identical name and party label on the same ballot.Source: Alaska Division of Elections

Can Alaska remove a Senate candidate from the ballot for having the same name as the incumbent?

The Alaska Division of Elections notified the challenger Dan Sullivan of ineligibility on 12 June 2026, citing voter-confusion concerns. Election attorney Scott Kendall called removal extreme and argued the Division should instead add a middle initial to distinguish the two candidates. The legal basis for removal on confusion grounds alone remained contested.Source: Alaska Public Media, June 2026

Source Material

Alaska Division of Elections intends to strike US Senate challenger Dan Sullivan from the ballot

How the World Sees Them

Alaska Republicans

Allege the filing is a deliberate Democratic-backed confusion tactic, and support removal or a clear ballot distinction to protect the incumbent.

Election-reform advocates

Removal raises due process concerns; a middle-initial label preserves ballot access while addressing confusion, consistent with how Alaska handles other same-name candidates.

Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 5 November 2026. Editorial standards.