An Alaska election official has determined that Daniel J. Sullivan, a candidate with the same name as incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, is ineligible to appear on the primary ballot. The official cited a deliberate effort to confuse voters. The announcement followed concerns from Republicans about the potential for voter confusion ahead of the August primary.

Elections Director Carol Beecher stated in a letter that Daniel J. Sullivan’s candidacy did not represent a genuine attempt to win the office but aimed to mislead voters and undermine the ballot’s fairness. She highlighted efforts to submit the candidacy as “Dan Sullivan” despite the candidate never using this name in voting records. Additionally, Beecher pointed out that the websites for the two candidates’ campaigns closely resembled each other, suggesting intentional mimicry.

The incumbent senator highlighted this issue to the media, accusing Democrats of attempting to deceive voters to sway the election. The National Republican Senatorial Committee and Alaska Republicans advocated for Daniel J. Sullivan’s removal from the ballot. Republican Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom initiated an investigation into the matter last week.

Beecher also noted that Daniel J. Sullivan’s political consultant had connections to the Democratic Party and the anticipated Democratic challenger, former Rep. Mary Peltola. Daniel J. Sullivan has a 30-day period to contest the decision.

The Alaska Senate race is one of the major contests, with Democrats aiming to gain control of the chamber. However, flipping the seat remains challenging, as President Trump won Alaska by a significant margin in 2024.