Alaska Election: Governor Orders Probe Into Senate Name Confusion

Alaska voters face a unique challenge in the upcoming U.S. Senate race, where two candidates share the surname Sullivan. Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered a state investigation late Wednesday to determine if legal violations occurred during the recruitment of one of those candidates. The incumbent Republican, Sen. Dan Sullivan, shares the same name as the challenger, a retired schoolteacher named Dan Sullivan.

The governor's order followed a report by The New York Times. The article alleged that senior advisors from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the campaign of Democratic nominee Mary Peltola worked to recruit the retired teacher. The stated goal was to draw votes away from the sitting senator. Both the Peltola campaign and the DSCC responded to the report by stating they are not involved in the retired teacher's campaign.

Dunleavy, a Republican like the incumbent senator, cited previous findings by the state Division of Elections. That agency had originally blocked the teacher from the primary ballot due to voter confusion concerns. A state court judge later reversed that order, and the Alaska Supreme Court upheld the decision, placing the teacher on the ballot. The governor wrote on X that the new reporting substantially supports the Division's earlier findings.

The governor directed the Department of Public Safety to investigate whether the scheme violated state law. He said the evidence will determine if criminal charges or civil action are warranted. Dunleavy stated that Alaskans have a fundamental right to vote for the candidate they intend to support. He added that anyone found to have broken the law must be held accountable.

This move coincides with a federal court ruling in Alaska. Judge Sharon Gleason allowed the Peltola campaign and the DSCC to intervene in a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit. The suit seeks to prevent the state from immediately certifying any Senate result affected by voter confusion. President Donald Trump said he ordered the DOJ to file the case. The judge ordered the DOJ to respond to motions to dismiss by late Thursday afternoon.

The Peltola campaign, DSCC, League of Women Voters of Alaska, and Common Cause have filed motions to dismiss. The latter two groups were also allowed to intervene. State election officials argue in a filing that the United States lacks the authority to intervene in state elections. They stated the federal government should not act in support of a favored candidate. These groups want the suit dismissed before Election Day on Nov. 3.

President Trump addressed the situation on Thursday, saying Senate Republicans should see what happens if Peltola wins. He described the retired teacher as being put there as a fraud. The stakes are high because the outcome could shift the balance of power in a Senate where Republicans currently hold a six-vote majority. A DSCC spokesperson accused Republicans of hypocrisy, citing past efforts to promote third-party candidates.

State elections officials say they have taken steps to distinguish the two candidates on the ballot. The teacher appears as Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr. with no other descriptive words. The senator is listed directly below as Sullivan, Dan. S. with the note Registered Republican, incumbent in parentheses.