Second Dan Sullivan Advances in Alaska Senate Primary

Alaska’s Senate race tightened further when a second candidate named Dan Sullivan secured a spot on the November ballot. The incumbent Republican senator now faces a Democratic challenger and a same-named rival in a contest that could influence control of the chamber.

Voters in the Aug. 18 nonpartisan primary sent the top four finishers forward under state rules. With most ballots counted, former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola received 48.2 percent, Sen. Dan S. Sullivan 42.6 percent, and Dan J. Sullivan 2.5 percent, according to Associated Press tallies. The fourth slot remained undecided. Alaska’s general election uses ranked-choice voting, allowing voters to rank multiple candidates.

Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, entered the race weeks before the filing deadline. Election officials removed him from the ballot in June, citing intent to confuse voters. A judge restored his place, and the state Supreme Court upheld that decision. On the primary ballot he appeared as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. without party designation, while the senator was listed as Dan S. Sullivan, Republican incumbent.

President Donald Trump endorsed the incumbent and described the second candidacy as an attempt to trick voters. Dan J. Sullivan has denied any coordination with Democrats and said he registered as a Republican because his prior party, the Alaska Independence Party, no longer exists. Peltola’s campaign has also denied involvement. No public records or court filings have confirmed coordination between any campaign and the challenger.

The race ranks among the most competitive Senate contests this cycle. Republicans hold 53 seats; Democrats need net gains of four to take majority control. Trump carried Alaska by double digits in 2024. Peltola flipped the state’s House seat in 2022 before losing it in 2024. Sen. Sullivan won his last two elections by comfortable margins.

Other contests on the same primary ballot advanced candidates for governor and the U.S. House, though those races drew less national attention. The Senate outcome will hinge on how voters rank the two Sullivans and Peltola under the ranked-choice system.