{"id":18837,"date":"2026-06-30T13:32:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T13:32:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18837"},"modified":"2026-06-30T13:32:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T13:32:22","slug":"alaska-supreme-court-says-a-man-with-the-same-name-as-us-sen-dan-sullivan-can-be-on-primary-ballot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=18837","title":{"rendered":"Alaska Supreme Court says a man with the same name as US Sen. Dan Sullivan can be on primary ballot"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

By BECKY BOHRER<\/strong><\/p>\n

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) \u2014 The Alaska Supreme Court ruled Monday that a man with the same name and party affiliation as Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan is qualified to run for the seat and ordered elections officials to place him on the August primary ballot.<\/p>\n

Read more New Mexico governor says state could seek billions after DEA let fentanyl hit streets<\/a><\/p>\n

The ruling came hours after the court heard arguments and just days after state court Judge Thomas Matthews found the Division of Elections had \u201cabused its discretion\u201d in booting the challenger Sullivan from the ballot. The Supreme Court, in a brief ruling, affirmed Matthews\u2019 decision to include the challenger on the ballot but sent back to the division the issue of how he should be listed as a candidate \u201cwithin the confines of existing Alaska ballot design law.\u201d<\/p>\n

The court said a full opinion explaining its decision would be released later.<\/p>\n

Jeffrey Robinson, an attorney for the challenger Sullivan, expressed gratitude for the ruling and said he expected the division \u201cwill act in full compliance\u201d with ballot design law in preparing the ballots. Sam Curtis, a spokesperson for the state Department of Law, said the state appreciated the quick ruling \u201cand will work to implement the order.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nate Adams, a spokesperson for Sen. Sullivan\u2019s campaign, said while disappointed by the ruling, the campaign is encouraged that Beecher \u201cwill be able to use her expertise to differentiate between the Petersburg fraud and the incumbent \u2014 Senator Dan Sullivan \u2014 to the benefit of Alaska voters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher issued a decision June 15 finding the challenger\u2019s candidacy was not filed in good faith and instead was done with an intent to confuse voters. But Matthews said Beecher\u2019s decision was not based on the requirements set out by the U.S. Constitution to serve in the Senate \u2014 which address age, citizenship and residency \u2014 or on state laws or regulations.<\/p>\n

Alaska\u2019s US Senate race could help determine control of chamber<\/h4>\n

The dust-up over the two Dan Sullivans began with the challenger filing his candidacy about a month ago and has roiled one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country. Alaska\u2019s race is one of about a half dozen Senate contests that are considered competitive and could determine control of the chamber for President Donald Trump\u2019s final two years in office.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The candidate filing prompted accusations by the senator and his allies, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee, that the challenger is a sham candidate intent on sowing chaos. Republican Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, who oversees elections, responded by announcing an investigation into the challenger\u2019s candidacy.<\/p>\n

Two complaints raising questions about his party affiliation and motives were filed by the Alaska Republican Party chair.<\/p>\n

The senator also accused the challenger Sullivan of working with Democrats and the campaign of Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola to cause confusion. Peltola\u2019s campaign and state Democrats have denied the allegation, as has the challenger, who said the decision to run was \u201cmy choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peltola is seen as the senator\u2019s main rival in the race, which features more than a dozen candidates.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The top four vote-getters in the primary, regardless of party affiliation, advance to a ranked choice general election in November.<\/p>\n

The challenger Sullivan, 69, a retired teacher from the small fishing community of Petersburg, told The Associated Press on Monday he had grown frustrated with the incumbent and thought the timing for a run was right. \u201cI just decided it was something I needed to do,\u201d he said. \u201cI will find out if it was the right thing or not, but I\u2019m going to give it a shot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more 3 wildland firefighters killed in western Colorado identified<\/a><\/p>\n

He said he aims to pull votes from the senator, as any challenger would. \u201cBut no, I\u2019m not trying to trick people,\u201d he told the AP.<\/p>\n

Arguments before the state Supreme Court<\/h4>\n

Attorneys for the challenger Sullivan, in filings before the state Supreme Court, said the elections division disqualified their client \u201cbecause of what it thought were his reasons for running.\u201d They called the good-faith standard applied by Beecher \u201clegally unsupportable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matthews agreed in his decision Friday to allow Sullivan on the ballot, saying, the elections division determination \u201cwas based upon a new, previously unstated, \u2018good-faith\u2019 criteria.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beecher, in disqualifying the challenger Sullivan, said he had registered to vote as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. and in conjunction with his candidacy changed his party affiliation to Republican, an affiliation he did not previously had. She cited similarities between his campaign website and the senator\u2019s, and his work with a consultant whose clients have included some Democrats. She did not mention finding any evidence of coordination.<\/p>\n

Attorneys general from 14 Republican-led states submitted a brief supporting the division and asking the state Supreme Court to keep the challenger Sullivan off the ballot.<\/p>\n

The division initially certified both Sullivans as candidates, identifying the challenger as Dan J. Sullivan and the incumbent as Dan S. Sullivan.<\/p>\n

Debate over ballot design<\/h4>\n

Attorneys representing the state, in their filings, said using a middle initial on the ballot would not be enough to help voters distinguish between the two Sullivans. They asked the court to uphold Beecher\u2019s finding.<\/p>\n

But if the court ordered the challenger Sullivan on the ballot, they proposed he be listed as Daniel James Sullivan Jr. with a nonpartisan party affiliation \u2014 arguing the division believed it could deny him being labeled a Republican since he had no prior affiliation with that party before running. The attorneys, led by outside counsel Christopher Murray, proposed in their brief that the senator be listed as Dan Sullivan, registered Republican and incumbent.<\/p>\n

Attorneys for the challenger said any proposal to list their client as \u201cnonpartisan\u201d would be unlawful because Alaska law allows him to be listed according to his party preference. It proposed he be listed on the ballot as Dan J. Sullivan, a Republican.<\/p>\n

They said the senator could ensure his supporters are aware of his middle initial and that the state\u2019s candidate information pamphlet, which is sent to voters, also could help address any confusion.<\/p>\n

At least one outside group supporting the senator has been running ads and sending political mailers referring to him as Sen. Dan S. Sullivan.<\/p>\n

Read more Ford recalling more than 741,000 vehicles because of park system issue<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Alaska Supreme Court ruled that a man with the same name and party as Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan is eligible for the August primary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18836,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-based-on-facts-either-observed-and-verified-directly-by-the-reporter-or-reported-and-verified-from-knowledgeable-sources","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nAlaska Supreme Court says a man with the same name as US Sen. 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