Alaska Orders Probe Of Second 'Dan Sullivan' On Ballot

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has ordered the Department of Public Safety to investigate an alleged effort to place a second candidate named Dan Sullivan on the state's ballot, a move he said could determine whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted. The probe follows reporting from The New York Times that campaign staffers for Senate candidate Mary Peltola and allied operatives worked to recruit candidates sharing the name of incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan to draw votes away from him through voter confusion.

Dan J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher from a remote Alaska Panhandle community, entered the race and finished third in the nonpartisan August primary. Alaska advances the top four candidates from that primary into a ranked-choice general election. Dunleavy posted on X that he was directing the investigation to determine if the alleged scheme violated state law, stating that 'today's New York Times reporting reveals disturbing new evidence of an organized effort to manipulate Alaska's elections by recruiting candidates.' He added that 'Alaskans have a fundamental right to vote for the candidate they actually intend to support.'

The timeline of the allegations extends back months. The Alaska Division of Elections investigated the matter in June, according to Dunleavy, who said recent reporting supports those prior findings. Republicans have criticized Dan J. Sullivan Jr.'s presence on the ballot for months, alleging an intentional effort to confuse voters. President Donald Trump has condemned the teacher's candidacy and called for Peltola to be barred from running.

The New York Times reported that practices involving ballot-stacking are generally legal. The Peltola campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which the report named alongside senior aides alleged to have participated, both denied involvement in the purported conspiracy. The Department of Public Safety's investigation will assess whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted.

The ranked-choice general election is scheduled to proceed with the top four primary candidates, including Dan J. Sullivan Jr., who finished third in the August nonpartisan primary. The Department of Public Safety review is ongoing as of Thursday, October 29, 2026.