GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola advance to battleground Senate election in Alaska

Alaska Senate Primary Advances Incumbent Dan Sullivan and Former Rep. Mary Peltola to November Ballot

GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola are projected to advance from Alaska’s top-four primary to the November general election for the state’s U.S. Senate seat. NBC News called the race for both candidates on the basis of available returns. A second Republican candidate on the ballot, Dan J. Sullivan, a former teacher, remains in contention for one of the final two spots, though results for those positions were not yet finalized.

Alaska uses a top-four primary system in which candidates from all parties appear on a single ballot; the four highest vote-getters proceed to the general election, which is conducted by ranked-choice voting. The presence of two candidates named Dan Sullivan has drawn attention because of the possibility of voter confusion. The incumbent senator and his supporters have stated that the second candidate is a Democratic plant intended to split the Republican vote. Dan J. Sullivan has denied the claim. Peltola’s campaign has also said it had no involvement with his candidacy.

State and federal authorities are examining whether the second Sullivan’s campaign constitutes an effort to mislead voters. A law enforcement official told NBC News that a federal grand jury issued subpoenas last week seeking information from witnesses connected to the Dan J. Sullivan campaign. The matter has also produced litigation over ballot access.

Democrats have identified the Alaska contest as a potential pickup opportunity since before the same-name issue arose. The state has supported Republican presidential candidates by double-digit margins in the last three elections. Party strategists have pointed to Peltola’s prior statewide victories as a reason for optimism. Peltola, a former state legislator and Anchorage city council member, won a 2022 special election to become the first Alaska Native elected to Congress. She secured a full term later that year but lost re-election in 2024 by three percentage points while running ahead of the Democratic presidential ticket by roughly 16,000 votes.

Peltola has emphasized state-specific issues and criticized aspects of the national political system. Campaign finance reports show she raised $18 million compared with Sullivan’s $12 million through the most recent filing period. As of July 29, Sullivan held $7.3 million in cash on hand while Peltola held $4.6 million. Sullivan has described Peltola’s positions as outside the mainstream for Alaska and has received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump. Sullivan, a former Marine first elected in 2014, has highlighted his legislative record on veterans’ issues and commercial fishing.

Peltola’s campaign announced a leadership change in which deputy campaign manager Cheryl Bruce assumed the role of campaign manager. Former manager Anton McParland, who previously served as Peltola’s congressional chief of staff, moved into a different position within the campaign. The campaign did not provide further details on the staffing adjustment.

Both candidates continue to campaign ahead of the November general election, which will use ranked-choice voting to determine the winner.