Alaska Primary Sends Sullivan, Peltola to Senate General

Alaska voters will decide control of a U.S. Senate seat in November after a top-four primary produced a matchup between incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan and former Democratic representative Mary Peltola. The race is one of several that could determine which party holds the majority for the final two years of President Donald Trump’s term.

The state’s system places all candidates on a single primary ballot and advances the top four finishers to a ranked-choice general election. With roughly 80 percent of votes counted, Peltola led with 48 percent and Sullivan followed at 42.8 percent. A second Republican named Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher and Forest Service employee, placed third with 2.4 percent. Two additional candidates trailed further behind.

Dan J. Sullivan’s presence on the ballot prompted lawsuits and investigations. Republicans argued the filing was intended to siphon votes from the incumbent through name confusion. The state supreme court allowed him to remain on the ballot. Federal prosecutors issued subpoenas as part of an inquiry into whether the candidacy formed part of a coordinated effort to mislead voters. Both the Peltola campaign and Dan J. Sullivan have denied any involvement in such a plan.

Peltola, the first Alaska Native to serve in Congress, won a special House election in 2022 and a full term later that year before losing re-election by three points in 2024. She has raised $18 million compared with Sullivan’s $12 million. Sullivan, first elected in 2014, has emphasized support for oil development, military installations, and veterans.

In the governor’s race, former state representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and former state senator Tom Begich, both Democrats, finished first and second among 17 candidate pairs. Two additional pairs will advance once final tallies are complete. Term-limited Republican Gov. Michael Dunleavy cannot run again.

The November ballot will therefore feature at least two Democrats and two Republicans in each statewide contest under ranked-choice rules that allow voters to rank preferences and redistribute votes after lower candidates are eliminated.